It's Worth Getting Past the Edges
by Mav Tails
Summary: Edgeworth meets a certain girl, and she changes his entire world. FINALLY FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

_Hey, guys, it's Nokyo-chan here!! This is TOTALLY a self-insert, me 'n' Edgeworth because I WANNA HAVE EDGEWORTH'S BABIES!!! *ahem* Any waaay, no flames please. I understand that Capcom designed Edgeworth to be gay, but that doesn't mean I don't want his babies and I can't pretend he wants mine._

_Sooo, enjoy if you wanna!_

_*update-ish thing*_

_Umm, yeah, I did have chapter two here, but I definitely deleted it. My story is borderline Mary-sue and since I have no desire to be an arrogant butthole, I'm editing it with the help of one of my friends who expertly manuevers around Mary-sueness. It might take me a while, but hopefully I'll get rid of the Mary-sueness!!_

* * *

Through the defendant lobby window, Phoenix could see the gray sky. The weatherman had called for rain today. He adjusted his attorney's badge on his lapel and turned to face his client. She was perched nervously on the edge of her chair, wringing her hands in her lap. The front part of her long brown hair was pinned back behind her head today—she was trying to dress up for her trial. She was wearing black slacks and a pink collared blouse. "Um…Nicky?" he said to her.

She sat ramrod straight, looking up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay."

"How could they think I killed him?" she whispered. Her brown eyes gave him a sad look. "How could they think that I would kill…I _worked_ with him! We were friends!"

"I know," Phoenix told her.

"We know you would never do that!" Maya Fey piped up, seeming to materialize at Phoenix's elbow. "But the prosecution will do everything they can to prove that you did it."

Nicky bit her lip. "They'll say I was jealous that he always got Employee of the Month," she said softly. "They were about to promote him to manager because Darrell—he's the manager now—wasn't cutting it. Poor Robby…"

Robert Griffin was the victim in this case. He and Nicky, Phoenix's client, worked together at a fast-food restaurant. The autopsy said that he had been shot in the heart. He had been working late when it happened, and Nicky had come in ten minutes later and discovered him. Unfortunately, it had taken the cops about twelve minutes to reach the scene, and they had found Nicky standing over the body, the gun in her hands.

"How important was your job to you?" Maya asked.

"Not very," Nicky admitted. "It's just to help me pay the bills right now…I'm also a columnist for a local paper, but they don't pay very well. I'm on an 'indefinite vacation' right now because of this whole fiasco."

"I'm sorry." Maya sympathetically patted Nicky's shoulder. "Nick here will get you off, though!"

Phoenix smiled as Nicky looked up at him. "Why did you go back in, though?" he asked her.

"I had forgotten the mouse to my laptop," she replied.

"Did you get it?"

"No. The cops came in and dragged me away before I could even look for it. I heard a noise in the back and…well…" She looked away and bit her lip. Maya immediately began patting her shoulder and making reassuring statements.

"It's almost time," Phoenix said. Maya offered Nicky her hand to help her stand up and the three went into the courtroom.

_________

For Nicky, the proceedings went by in a bit of a blur. She couldn't really retain any information. She knew her manager, Darrell, had claimed to hear the shot, and that Detective Dick Gumshoe was the one who had arrested her—both were on the stand. She only remembered hearing "_OBJECTION_!" over and over from both Phoenix and Miles Edgeworth, the prosecutor.

Phoenix had cornered Darrell, asking him why he hadn't immediately gone to check out the noise of the shot. Edgeworth seemed in a bit of a bind. He was leaning on the counter in front of him, eyes bugging out slightly. Nicky looked up at him, and he looked over at her. They met each other's eyes. Nicky was trying not to let her tears slip over the edge, so she knew her eyes looked watery. But she saw something in his. She saw fire, passion, and then, as he took in her appearance, his eyes changed. She saw sorrow, sympathy…pain.

She was taken aback at this last emotion. Pain? Why? He looked away quickly. She leaned forward in her seat and watched him for the rest of the trial, willing him to look at her again—but he didn't.

At last, the judge suspended the trial for the day, claiming that everyone would meet again at the same time tomorrow. Nicky rose shakily.

"We've got the upper hand!" Phoenix told her happily.

"It's really looking like Darrell did it," Maya said, nudging her.

"Darrell? That would make sense," Nicky said a bit dazedly as Dick Gumshoe came up behind her.

"Ready to go back to the detention center, pal?" he asked her.

She sighed. "Ready as I'll ever be, sir," she replied. She looked at Phoenix and smiled, taking in his spiky hair and somewhat birdlike appearance. "Thank you, Phoenix Wright," she said. "I really, really mean that. You too, Maya. Thank you guys." She then turned and let Gumshoe gently grab her upper arm and lead her away.

"They did a really nice job back there, pal," Gumshoe told her.

"They did," Nicky replied. "Oh, sir?"

"Yeah?"

"Um…about the prosecutor…"

"Prosecutor Edgeworth?"

"Is that his name? He…he's a very passionate person, isn't he?"

"Sure is. He's the best prosecutor there is, pal. He was unbeatable for a while…well, till he met Phoenix Wright in court, of course. Wright hasn't lost a case yet, pal. You sure got yourself a good lawyer."

Nicky smiled as Gumshoe led her out to the street. She looked around and saw Edgeworth again, standing by his red sports car. She gazed at him for a while. He had his hand on the roof of the car and was staring down with a frown on his face. Darrell was standing next to him, talking nonstop, but Edgeworth wasn't listening. He looked up and over at Nicky, and their eyes met once again, just as Gumshoe pushed her gently into the backseat of the police cruiser. She sat there in silence as a police officer started the cruiser and shifted it into drive. One day, she vowed. One day, she was going to talk to the lawyer with the pain behind his eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

_w00t!! Ookay, second time around, I have re-vamped this chapter to make it less Mary-Sue. My quest for humility begins!! RAH!! Take that, arrogance!! Anyways, review! Thanks to **Princess one99five**, my faithful reviewer, and **Caigus of the White Lions**, my newest faithful reviewer. Enjoy! (hopefully...) Also, big thanks to **Tiger-the-great-Xtra**, who helped me with the de-Mary-sue-ifying process. (It's a word. Shut up.)_

* * *

"This court finds the defendant…_Not Guilty_!"

Phoenix laughed and looked over at Nicky, who jumped out of her seat with a whoop. Today, her hair was down. It winged gently by her face. She was wearing a lavender skirt that fell about two inches above her knee and a white button-up blouse.

Maya pumped her arms in the air and turned to Nicky, grabbing her in a celebratory hug. Phoenix looked over at Edgeworth to give him his usual curt nod, but frowned when he saw that his opponent wasn't looking at him at all. He was looking at Nicky, his usual frown on his face.

The party made their way out to the defendant lobby, where Nicky threw her arms around Phoenix's neck. "Oh, thank you!" she cried as she disentangled herself from him. "Thank you so much. I don't know how I can ever repay you."

"Your happiness is enough," Phoenix said. "It really got tight in there sometimes."

"But you pulled me through," Nicky replied, touching his arm. "You really did."

"Yo, Nick!" Nicky turned and smiled at Larry Butz, who had also been an employee at the fast-food restaurant. He gave Phoenix a thumbs-up. "Great work back there! I knew little ole Nicky here couldn't have done it!" He pulled the girl into a one-armed hug. "She's too sweet!"

Nicky laughed. Phoenix watched the two with a smile. He saw a flash of pinkish burgundy out of the corner of his eye and turned, almost knocking into Edgeworth with his usual somber expression. "Edgeworth," Phoenix said.

"Wright." Edgeworth looked a bit uncomfortable. "I wanted to tell you something. I wanted to say…" He looked away, clutching his arm nervously. Phoenix frowned. "I…I'm glad that you won. I'm glad your client was found innocent."

Phoenix was taken aback. "Th-thank you," he stammered.

"I was wondering if I might…congratulate…her?" Edgeworth was looking over Phoenix's shoulder. Phoenix turned. Nicky was happily talking to Larry (who was, of course, starry-eyed in the presence of females) and Maya, waving her hands in the air. As he watched, Larry hugged Nicky good-bye and left, and she turned to Maya, unfazed.

"Well, she's not really my client anymore, is she?" Phoenix said. "Maya and I were just about to leave. You could walk us out to the street."

Edgeworth nodded and followed Phoenix over to the girls. "Maya, it's time we got going," he said. "When does _Pink Princess_ come on?"

Maya gasped. "Oh, you're right! It comes on in an hour and we haven't even got snacks at the office! You should come watch it with us, Nicky! It's a great show! The main character—"

Maya continued to babble as they walked out, but it seemed as though no one was listening to her. Phoenix eyed Nicky, who kept glancing at Edgeworth with an odd expression on her face. Edgeworth stared ahead of him, occasionally shooting her a sideways look. They got out to the curb into the sunlight. Nicky's and Edgeworth's expressions didn't change. Phoenix stepped up to hail a cab.

"And I've got tons of trading cards," Maya was saying. "It's a _great_ show."

"Sounds great," Nicky told her. "I'll go change clothes and meet you at the office."

"Oh, you can share a cab with us. We can take you, and—"

"Maya," Phoenix said, touching her shoulder. "We've got to go to the store to buy snacks. You should let her go on her own. The past few days must have been very tiring. She'll be able to rest a little that way."

Maya considered this for a moment before nodding. "You're right! Okay. But don't forget to come, okay?" she asked. "Oh—actually, you know what? Mr. Edgeworth could probably drive you there!" She put her hands behind her back and cocked her head a little, obviously proud of her solution.

"Wh-what?" Nicky choked out, looking over at Edgeworth. His index finger suddenly started tapping against his arm. "I—I can just get a cab—"

"Oh, but you'd have to _pay_ for a cab!" Maya said brightly. "If Mr. Edgeworth takes you, it'll be free!"

Edgeworth's finger tapped more.

"But—my apartment's kinda—far off…and he'd have to pay for the gas…" Nicky's voice faded.

"Mr. Edgeworth is rich! It won't be any problem!" The cab pulled up as Maya smiled at them.

"Uh, Maya, Edgeworth just _prosecuted_ her…don't you think it'd be a little…?" Phoenix trailed off as he looked over at them. Edgeworth was stiff as a board, and Nicky was fidgeting awkwardly.

"It'll be okay," Maya assured him, opening the back door of the cab. "Don't forget that she needs to be at the Law Offices of Wright & Co. in an hour!"

To Phoenix's surprise, Edgeworth nodded. "Duly noted," he said, speaking for the first time since they had left the building.

"See you in an hour," Nicky said weakly as Phoenix and Maya got into the taxi. The door closed and she turned awkwardly to Edgeworth, who seemed extremely tense.

The cab drove off. Edgeworth turned to her and looked at her, arms still crossed, not saying anything. An awkward silence stretched between them. Nicky spoke first.

"I'm Nicky," she said softly, holding out her hand. She spoke with a slight southern twang.

"I'm Miles Edgeworth." He took her hand to shake it. It felt warm and large curving around hers.

"You don't really have to take me home," she replied. "I can just hail a cab."

"No, I will take you. I said I would. I am true to my word."

"Oh. Well…thank you, Mr. Edgeworth." She looked down at her hand. The two had stopped

shaking hands, but they were still touching. Noticing, both of them drew back quickly from one another.

"Well, to my car, then," Edgeworth said, walking past her. She turned and followed after him.

* * *

"This is a…_cozy_ apartment." Edgeworth stood in the doorway, looking at her small apartment. Nicky laughed slightly.

"It's little," she said. "But it's got a kitchenette and a utility room. I'm really grateful to you," she added, looking away and fidgeting. "You didn't have to drive me out here."

"It's nothing," he replied. "Really."

She smiled broadly at him and turned away, walking into the apartment. "Come in. Have a seat." She patted the back of the sofa as she passed it. "I'm just going to change into some more comfortable clothes, and I'll be right out. The remote for the TV is on the coffee table, if you want to watch anything." She glanced over her shoulder before she went into her room. He was lowering himself to sit on her sofa. She thought he looked odd, clad in his pinkish burgundy suit, sitting on her pale blue couch.

Nicky changed into a pleated miniskirt (mini, but not too short) and leggings, topping it off with a T-shirt. She brushed her hair one more time and checked it in the mirror. _I know I said one day I was going to talk to him,_ she thought, fluffing it gently, _but I never thought I'd have him in my apartment!_ Her hands were shaking. Why was she so nervous? Well, actually, that was a stupid question. The lawyer who had prosecuted her for murder was sitting in her living room. She composed herself quickly. _It'll be okay. We're leaving soon to go watch a TV show with Maya anyway. _She left her room and stood there for a moment, looking at the couch. Edgeworth was turning the TV remote over and over in his hands, staring at it. She walked towards him.

"Want anything to drink?" she asked. "Milk? Water? Soda? Coffee? Hot chocolate?"

"No tea?" he said as he looked up, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't really drink tea a lot," she told him. "And the only tea I like is kind of expensive…well, by _my_ standards, at least."

"I'll take coffee," he said, the corner of his mouth turning up.

"It's instant," she warned him. "And decaf."

"That's fine."

She was in the kitchenette for a while before she came out with two steaming mugs. She set the coffee in front of him and kept one for herself. Hers seemed to have little marshmallows floating in it. "Mine is hot chocolate," she explained, putting it down on the coffee table and sitting beside him on the couch, a little closer than she intended. She put her hands in her lap for a moment as Edgeworth picked up his coffee and blew softly at it. She looked over at him, at how his eyes closed, at the way his lips puckered slightly as he blew…he took a sip and swallowed slowly.

"Mr. Edgeworth?"

He looked at her. "Yes?"

Nicky leaned forward and picked up her hot chocolate. She wrapped both her hands around it, feeling the warmth radiating through her fingers. A finger tapped gently against the side of the mug. Her eyes stayed trained on the surface of the hot chocolate and the steam rising up. "In court…the first day…"

The couch made a few noises as Edgeworth shifted. Out of the corner of her eye, Nicky saw him take another sip of coffee carefully. She wanted to get this out in the open quickly. She hated mysteries, hated leaving things unsolved. She could just get this over with and not have to think about it again. Well, that was a lie. She'd think about it again—but at least she could get the mystery solved soon.

"The first day," she continued. "You…looked at me."

Edgeworth was silent for a moment. Nicky snuck a glance at him as he drank a bit more coffee. "And you looked at me," he said finally.

"You have a complicated past, don't you?" She turned her head to look at him. He stared down at his coffee.

"What makes you think that?" he asked after a stretch of silence.

"Your eyes," she said softly, returning her gaze to her mug. She gently took a sip of her drink. It warmed her throat. "You have such…pain…in your eyes." She summoned up enough courage to look at him again. His eyes were closed as if he was thinking. When he finally opened them, he drank the last of his coffee and leaned forward to set the mug down on the table before turning his head to look at her.

She took a sip of her hot chocolate and let her eyes roam over him. He wore a very somber expression. It fit him well. Nicky got the feeling that he wore it often, as he did his pinkish burgundy suit with frills at the collar. His eyes weren't as readable as they had been. They were now cloudy.

"I have quite a past," he said to her, looking straight at her. "I don't speak of it often."

Nicky fidgeted slightly under his gaze. "Um…okay."

"And as of right now…that's all you need to know."

_Are you serious?_ Nicky almost asked. She had gathered all that courage, composed herself, taken those deep breaths, forced herself to bring it up—because she probably wouldn't have gotten another chance to talk to him about it—for _three sentences_? She felt like throwing up. All her courage was wasted. She was humiliated.

Nicky turned away from him and quickly grabbed her hot chocolate, gulping down the rest of it for lack of anything better to do. She then jumped up. "Uh, done with your coffee?" Without waiting for an answer, she scooped up the mugs and hurried into her small kitchenette, bending her neck and staring down at the sink as she washed them. Her face felt very hot. Normally she was pretty brave, but this Edgeworth guy made her nervous. Was it because he was intimidating? Was it because he was serious? Was it because she found him attractive?

Her grip slipped on her mug and it made a loud noise against the side of the sink.

"Is everything all right?" Edgeworth asked from the living room, which was only about ten feet away, maybe less.

"Uh, yeah…just…washin' dishes, y'know…" _Oh God, you sound so stupid,_ she thought to herself. _Was_ it because she found him attractive? That was a possibility. He was very handsome.

She rinsed off the mugs and set them in the drain tray before she turned around, tugging on the hem of her T-shirt and smiling sheepishly.

Edgeworth stood and frowned slightly, putting his hands in his pockets. Her stomach lurched a bit—oh, yeah, she _definitely _found him attractive. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Uh, no," she replied. "Definitely not."

"Well…are you ready for me to take you to Wright's?"

She smiled. "Yeah, that'd be great." Maybe it didn't matter if she found him attractive. It wasn't as if she had any type of chance with him, anyway. He was the best prosecutor to ever walk the earth. What was she? A simple, run-of-the-mill columnist who had to work two jobs just to pay the bills, a girl who had majored in music in college and had once played in a symphony but now couldn't even find a way to make her major any use. In other words, she was a nobody. "I'll have to find some way to thank you," she added as they walked towards the door together.

"That won't be necessary," Edgeworth told her. "I was just doing a good deed."

"Oh, and Mr. Edgeworth…" Nicky stopped at her door, her hand resting on the doorknob. She stared down at her feet fixedly. "Um, someday, I hope that…uh…" She looked up at him. "I hope you can tell me about…your past." She fidgeted slightly before looking up and smiling brightly. "Off we go!"

She left the apartment, Edgeworth following a little confusedly.

* * *

_**IS IT BETTER?? **Oh please God don't make me change it again. Teehee. Really though, it was hard to fidget things around. It seems like anything I do turns out Mary-sue...I can't make it so I'm TOO hard on myself, and I can't make it so that I think too much of myself. It's a delicate balance, a very fine line. **ARRGH!!**_

_Coming next chapter: Franziska bothers Edgeworth. Preeeeetty fuuunnyyy!! (I hope...)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Once again, I offer my thanks to **Princess one99five**, **Caigus of the White Lions**, and **Tiger-the-great-Xtra**. Hopefully this doesn't have Mary-sue!! **Note: I will discontinue author's notes at the beginning after this chapter. I will only thank my reviewers at the end of the chapter.** Umm, enjoy!!_

* * *

Edgeworth put his forehead in his palm as he stared down at the paperwork in front of him. In truth, he wasn't concentrating on his work at all. He looked up and turned around to gaze out of the large picture window behind his desk. He wasn't much for heights, but the view overlooking the buildings was quite spectacular.

There was a knock at the door, and Edgeworth turned and quickly pretended to work. "Enter," he called.

The door opened and Franziska von Karma walked into the room, her short silvery-blue hair waving gently against her chin. She whipped at the door, which shut with a rather loud _bang_.

"Good morning, Ms. von Karma," Edgeworth said without looking up from his paperwork. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I just wish to offer my condolences," Franziska replied, coiling her whip around her hand. She pulled it taught. "It certainly is not easy to lose a case."

"Indeed." Edgeworth took a sip of his tea and placed the cup back down, sifting through his papers.

"I myself have won my last few cases," Franziska continued smugly.

"Congratulations," Edgeworth told her, putting the papers into a folder and reaching for another one. He opened it and began looking over the papers inside. "And were any of those cases against Phoenix Wright?"

Franziska immediately whipped the edge of his desk. Edgeworth glanced up at her scowling face. He knew the only reason the Chief Prosecutor allowed her to carry that whip around was because she herself feared getting whipped if she denied her the privilege. The Chief Prosecutor was a very stern individual, but that whip stung when it hit. "You are a foolish fool to suggest that I could not win a case against that foolishly foolish Phoenix Wright!" She whipped his desk again. "I could beat that fool _any—day—of—the—week_!" she yelled, whipping his desk at each of her last words.

"Yet you haven't won a single case against him," Edgeworth replied, picking up his teacup and sitting back in his chair to meet Franziska's scowl. She angrily whipped the edge of his desk. "Wright has never lost a case—except for that once. All his clients are proved to be innocent in the end—except for that once. He is a good attorney."

"He is a _lucky_ attorney," Franziska spat. "He never has his strategy planned! He always makes it up as he goes along!" She whipped Edgeworth's desk for emphasis. "It's as if someone else runs his cases for him!"

"Ms. von Karma," Edgeworth said, setting his teacup down. "Please refrain from whipping my desk anymore. You will unnecessarily jostle my teacup."

"Foolishly foolish dandy fool," Franziska said, whipping the floor beside her. "What kind of foolish man drinks foolish tea and wears foolish pinkish suits with foolish frilly collars?"

"A cultured one," he replied. "And it's not _frilly_—it is _ruffled_. Also, didn't your dearest papa wear a ruffled collar? Now, if you have no other business than to gloat and rant about Phoenix Wright, I must ask you to leave. I have very important paperwork that must be filed."

She whipped the floor beside her again and turned on her heel. Edgeworth wondered what kind of sound her boots would make if he didn't have carpet. _She's probably stomping like she did when she was younger,_ he thought to himself. She lashed at the doorknob, wrapping the edge of the whip around it and pulling. The door opened.

"You have hands, you know," Edgeworth called calmly after her as she shut the door. He chuckled as he heard the sound of the whip striking the door and one last call of "Fool!" before she was finally gone.

Edgeworth looked down at the folder he had grabbed randomly. To his surprise, it was the latest case—the one in which he prosecuted Nicky. He thumbed through it, finding the page with her picture paperclipped to it. It didn't look much like a mug shot. Yes, she was holding the sign that told the camera her number, but she looked so scared. Her eyes were puffy and her cheeks looked wet. Edgeworth ran his hand through his hair as he studied it. He hadn't looked at it before—he hadn't deemed it important to see the defendant's face. He continued to stare at it, wondering if he would have even taken the case if he had looked at it before.

"I'm sorry," he told the picture, surprising himself. He snapped the folder shut and pushed it aside. He was going crazy.

* * *

Larry looked up and smiled as Nicky walked in, dressed in her work uniform. "Hey!" he said, surprised. "I didn't think you'd keep working here!"

"Well, I have to pay my bills somehow," she replied, joining him behind the counter. He gave her a swift hug, pulling her close.

"I'm glad you came back. This place would be unbearable without you." He smiled as he released her, and she returned it.

"That's really sweet of you, Larry." She walked over to punch her timecard. "Do you know who the new manager is yet?"

"No. But whoever it is, they'll probably be great!" Larry gave her a thumbs-up and she laughed.

"I hope so." She leaned on the counter and looked out over the tables in the restaurant. "I hope they don't make me clean the boys' bathroom like Darrell did."

"It was normally him who made the mess, anyway." He smiled as she laughed again, and he threw his arm around her shoulders. "This is your kingdom now," he whispered theatrically, making her giggle. "Nick really did do a good job of getting you off the hook, huh?"

"He sure did." She sounded resigned.

"He's never lost a case that I know of. Me and Nick and Edgey were buddies back in school. We were in the same class. But, I'm glad Edgey lost." He smiled as he looked down at her. "I wouldn't know what to do if you were in prison."

Nicky's face had changed. She shrugged out from underneath his arm and started walking towards the back. "I'm going to…check…something."

Larry frowned and crossed his arms. "Was it something I said?" he wondered aloud.

* * *

The day dragged on without any new cases for Edgeworth. He did manage to get his paperwork complete and filed, so now he was standing by the window, sipping tea and gazing out before he went home.

There was a knock at the door. "Enter," Edgeworth called without turning around. He heard the door open slowly and then shut softly, so he knew it wasn't Franziska. He stood there for a moment, waiting for the person to speak, but he or she never did. Edgeworth turned and set his teacup down on his desk. "Yes?" he asked, finally looking at the person.

It was Nicky. She had on a blue-and-yellow work uniform and was carrying a bag with a fast-food restaurant's logo on it. She smiled timidly at him, and he allowed the corner of his mouth to lift slightly.

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hello," he replied. He felt an unexpected welling of happiness in his chest at seeing her. "I…brought you some dinner, you know, to thank you for driving me home. If you like fries," she added quickly. "I mean…you didn't really strike me as someone who would eat fast-food all that often, but I figured…maybe, just this once, with me…" She trailed off and looked away, hands drooping sadly. He felt a bit of sympathy for her. She was quite brave, coming here to thank a man she barely knew.

"I haven't eaten any fast-food, actually," he told her, coming to stand in front of her. "It will be a new experience for me. And, if I'm not mistaken, did I not say that you had no reason to thank me for the ride home?"

She smiled brightly at him. "Maybe I didn't listen. I feel in your debt—it's a pretty long way to drive from the courthouse. Anyway, where do you wanna sit?"

"Oh…well…we could sit at my desk, or—"

"You know what?" she said, looking up at him. "Here's fine!"

"Here?" he repeated, bewildered. "But there are no chairs—"

Before he could finish, she plopped down on the ground, crossing her legs Indian-style and looking up at him expectantly. He carefully lowered himself down to sit across from her, frowning as he crossed his legs. He didn't like to sit on the ground. That was what chairs were made for. But Nicky laughed, and he had to smile at the sound.

Nicky opened up the white paper bag and began pulling out food—burgers wrapped in foil, fries in cardboard containers, drinks in cardboard cups. She put some napkins on the floor and placed the food on them. "It's like a little indoor picnic," she said happily, pushing the now-empty white paper bag out of the way. "I got you a burger. I hope you like it."

He unwrapped his burger carefully. By the time he had it open, Nicky was halfway through her chicken sandwich. "How did you open it so fast?" he asked her.

"Years of experience," she replied before biting into it again.

Edgeworth bit into his own burger and chewed it thoughtfully. He swallowed and prepared to take another bite.

"Like it?"

He looked up at her. She was staring at him, a worried expression on her face, clutching her chicken sandwich with both hands. He considered. It was incredibly different from anything he had ever tasted, but it wasn't _bad_. "Yes. I do."

They continued to eat. Nicky seemed nervous, and she chattered away, describing her busy day dealing with customers and trying to think of ideas for her weekly column in the local paper. Edgeworth listened, finishing off his burger and starting on his fries.

"You had a much busier day than I did," he informed her, popping a fry into his mouth.

"Really? Well, you're a lawyer," Nicky replied. She sucked on her straw for a few seconds. "You have to deal with more paper than people."

He waggled his finger at her. "Not true. Just this morning, I had a run-in with Franziska von Karma." He looked down at his fry container. It was empty. Nicky's, however, was brimming with fried golden goodness. He leaned forward to take one and drew back sharply when she smacked his hand. "What—? Ow!"

"Ask first," she scolded. "Don't take my food, Edgeworth."

"I cannot believe you just hit me!" He looked at her accusingly.

"Don't take my food," she insisted. "Say you're sorry."

"What? You _hit_ me! _You_ apologize!"

Nicky burst into laughter very suddenly. Edgeworth watched her for a while before shaking his head and smiling slightly. When Nicky finally calmed down, Edgeworth said, "Yes, yes…I apologize for attempting to steal your food."

"I'm sorry for hitting you, Edgey," she replied, leaning forward and touching his hand slightly. He looked down at the way her fingertips brushed against the back of his hand where she had hit it. A strange tingling sensation seemed to flow from her. "Um…if I can _call_ you Edgey. That's what Larry calls you, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is. And I suppose I won't mind if you do as well. Also, I apologize for attempting to steal your food."

"And I forgive you." She smiled at him, flicking her eyes up to meet his.

He glanced down. She was still touching his hand. Noticing, she pulled back, picking up her chicken sandwich wrapper and placing it in the white paper bag. Edgeworth gathered up his own trash and put it in there with hers. "Are you aware," Edgeworth began as an idea bloomed in his head, "that since I find no reason for you to thank me for driving you to your home, I consider this a random act of kindness?"

Nicky picked up her fries and placed them carefully on Edgeworth's desk, on a napkin. He almost smiled at her thoughtfulness. "What do you mean?" she asked, arranging it so that the fries wouldn't leave any grease stains on his desk.

"Well, now I have to repay you for your kindness."

Nicky finished with the fries and turned around, frowning. "What?" She sounded utterly confused.

"Tomorrow, I will take you out to dinner. Dress nicely."

"Wh-what?" Nicky stammered. "No, no, you don't have to."

"Just come to my office as soon as you can."

"Well…" She scratched the back of her neck. "Um…I don't think I'd be able to pay for a cab to take me all the way home and then back here."

"Ah. I see." Edgeworth nodded solemnly. He stroked his chin for a moment, thinking. "Well, I have taken you to your apartment before. I will just do it again."

"Huh?"

"Come here after work. I will take you to your apartment and wait for you to get ready. We will depart from there to go to the restaurant." He nodded decisively. He rather liked his plan.

"Oh—I can't—"

"You wouldn't refuse a man a chance to thank a lady, would you?"

Nicky smiled. "No, I suppose not." She took a deep breath. "I'll take a cab here, I suppose. See you tomorrow, Edgey."


	4. Chapter 4

"Well, you're certainly peppy today!"

Nicky laughed at Larry as she bounced happily into work. "Yeah. I guess I am. I just…had a really good day yesterday." She nodded, a satisfied expression on her face.

Larry gave her a thumbs-up. "Cool!"

"Oh—I figured out what I'm going to write in my column…probably for the next few weeks!"

"Nice! What is it?"

"The story of my trial," Nicky replied excitedly, punching her timecard. "My readers are probably dying to know about it." She looked a little depressed for a moment. "All _ten_. But—"—she got excited again—"—I'm going to start out first with how I discovered R-R-Robby, and then finding Phoenix, and then the three days of the trial! Isn't that a good idea, Larry?"

Larry put his hands in his pockets and looked at her. "It haunts you."

She frowned and cocked her head. "What?"

"It haunts you, doesn't it? The murder. Robby." He cocked his head, too. "Just now…you had to try three times to get yourself to say his name."

A silence stretched between them. The mood changed noticeably. Suddenly, the usually peaceful, customer-free morning seemed to press in on them in a suffocating way.

Nicky bit her lip and looked away. "It's not that easy to get over," she said softly.

"I know," Larry replied. "_Trust_ me, I know. I seem to have been a part of a lotta murders lately. Are you sure you're ready to go writing about it?"

"It's easier than thinking of ideas right now," Nicky replied. "And all my ten readers are curious." She shrugged and smiled sadly. "Plus, I need to think about it…to grieve and all that. I'll be okay, Larry."

He shook his head. "I worry about you."

Nicky was taken aback. "Why?"

"You always seem so happy…it makes it hard to see what's underneath." He took a step towards her. "I really do worry about you." He stepped towards her again and hugged her, nestling his face in the top of her head. "I want you to be okay."

She tentatively hugged him back. "Don't worry about me, Larry," Nicky told him, patting his back. "I've got friends to help me. Friends like you." She pulled back and smiled at him. "I'll be okay."

"Friends," Larry said. The hug broke as the new manager came in, assigning Larry to a cash register and Nicky to the drive-through. "Wish it could be more," he murmured under his breath.

* * *

"Hey, Nicky," Larry called as she put on her coat.

"Yeah?" She looked up at him, poking her arm through her sleeve.

"You wanna do something?" he asked, leaning on the counter. Their shifts were over, and Nicky was preparing to leave. She frowned at him.

"Do something?"

"Yeah. Like go grab some dinner or whatever." Larry pointed a thumb over his shoulder. "There's a place down the street—"

Nicky turned from him under the guise of struggling with her coat and winced when she faced away. "I can't," she said, zipping it up.

"Why not?"

"I have plans already." She took a deep breath and turned to face him, smiling. "But how about a rain check? We'll definitely do that sometime later!"

Larry seemed slightly disappointed, but he recovered quickly. "That's cool. Who with?"

"A friend," Nicky replied quickly. A picture of Edgeworth's lopsided smirk appeared in her mind, and without thinking, she allowed the corner of her mouth to twitch up in a slight imitation. "I'm taking a cab uptown to meet…my friend…now, actually." She headed for the door.

"I'm heading uptown, too," Larry said, following her. "Wanna share a cab?"

She smiled as Larry leaned in front of her and opened the door. "Sure," she replied. _What could it hurt?_ she thought to herself, thanking Larry as he held the door for her.

Larry climbed into the cab. He was not heading uptown. In fact, he had to go _down_town. He knew the cab fare would be pretty terrible, but it was a small price to pay for the knowledge of Nicky's "friend".

The whole time they drove, Nicky chatted brightly. The cab got caught in almost every red light. Every time this happened, Nicky seemed to get a little more nervous. She would bite her bottom lip for a few minutes before continuing her story.

"Something wrong?" Larry asked when they hit one of the lights. Nicky quickly smiled at him.

"Oh, no, no, it's just…I was supposed to meet my friend as soon as I could, and…"

"So you'll get there when you get there," Larry told her. "It'll be as soon as you could." He laughed offhandedly. "Maybe, though, it would have been quicker to walk."

"Oh, we're here!" Nicky cried suddenly as the cab pulled over. "You're right, Larry," she said, climbing over him to get out. "It probably would have been quicker to walk." She got out and stood on the sidewalk. She turned and waved to him quickly before running up to the building.

Larry looked up at the building and frowned. The Prosecutors' Office? He gasped as the cab started moving again. "Edgey," he mumbled. He punched the seat beside him. "Edgey," he repeated angrily.

* * *

Edgeworth sneezed and hastily wiped his nose with a Kleenex. What was taking her so long?

"It seems as though someone is talking about you," Franziska von Karma said, crossing her arms from her place on the couch.

"I care nothing for silly superstitions," Edgeworth replied, discarding the Kleenex.

"Foolish fool," Franziska retaliated. She pulled her whip taut. "You have been getting jumpy over the past few minutes."

_Maybe she forgot,_ he thought, running a hand over his hair, ignoring Franziska. _Maybe she doesn't want to come._ He froze for a moment, thinking this over calmly.

"Miles Edgeworth!" Franziska barked, standing and whipping his desk. He jumped up out of his chair. "What is your problem?"

"I'm…waiting for someone."

"Waiting?"

"Yes…I planned dinner with…a friend." He turned to his picture window and looked out, gazing down at the sidewalk. A cab pulled up and Nicky stepped out. He smiled in relief—Edgeworth hated suspense.

"A friend?" Franziska muttered behind him. "I didn't know you had any friends."

"And my friend seems to have arrived. Ms. von Karma, I'm afraid I must ask you to leave. I must gather my things and get ready."

Franziska stood haughtily and whipped his desk before leaving, slamming the door behind her. Edgeworth paid her no mind, smoothing the wrinkles in his suit self-consciously and wishing he had a mirror. He was proud of his ability to hold in his excitement; otherwise, Franziska might suspect something.

There was a knock on the door, and Edgeworth almost panicked. He couldn't have Nicky coming in and just seeing him _waiting_ for her. Thankfully, a file was already on his desk. It was a simple matter to sit down and grab a pen, acting as if he were going to write something.

"Enter!" he called, using his most businesslike voice. The door opened and he looked up to see Nicky in that blue-and-yellow work uniform, her long brown hair falling around her shoulders. "Ah, Nicky," he said with a small smile. "I was just finishing up my paperwork."

Nicky shut the door behind her. "I met a scary lady with a whip in the hallway," she said, her voice quivering a little. "She shook it at me and said I was in her way, and then she called me a _foolish fool_." She bit her lip, looking a bit scared.

He walked around his desk and crossed the room to stand in front of her. "That was Franziska von Karma," he told her. "She means no harm."

"She was kinda scary."

"She is that," Edgeworth remarked. "But did she whip you?"

"No."

"Well, that's fine then." He smiled at her. (Edgeworth was under the impression, actually, that he smiled—in fact, what _he_ thought was smiling was actually the lifting of the corner of his mouth.) "Do you feel better?"

She looked up at him timidly and smiled. "Yes," she replied.

"Do you want to cancel dinner?"

"_No_!" she said quickly, a panicked look stretching across her face. She cleared her throat once and frowned. "I mean…no. I'm fine now." She smiled. She was quite pretty, Edgeworth realized, even if she did smell slightly of fast food.

"Ready to go yet?"

"Yes," Nicky told him.

"Let me just gather my things, and then we'll go down to the parking lot and get into my car." He went to his desk. Nicky watched him as he gathered all his papers and files and stacked them neatly into his briefcase, a look of concentration on his face. She smiled slightly, cocking her head as she watched his hands scoop things up, or his lips purse slightly as he examined his desk for anything he might have left, or his bangs swing forward as he leaned over. When he finally shut his briefcase and got his keys out of his pocket, he looked at her and gave her that lopsided little smirk that she had been thinking about all day. She smiled brightly in response as he walked over to her and held out his arm to her in a gentlemanly way. "Let me take you to your castle," he said as she took his arm a bit timidly. "M'lady," he added, and she looked up at him and smiled. It was the nicest thing anyone had called her.

When they got to the parking garage, Edgeworth opened her car door for her. She suppressed a giggle as she got in and waited for him. He started the engine easily and they left the parking lot to get on the road to her apartment. It was quiet the whole way there; the car seemed to be filled with expectations. The entire time, Nicky snuck glances at Edgeworth's profile while thoughts chased herself around in her head. _What is this? Is this a date? He said dress up. Will what I've picked out be dressy enough? _

She also preoccupied herself with how absolutely gorgeous he was. She loved everything about his looks, from his stern gaze to his tight lips, from his ruffled collar to his silvery-gray hair. She was a sucker for a guy in a suit, even if it was a little…well…pink and frilly.

He glanced sideways at her and she looked away quickly as heat rose to her face. "We're here," he said. "Would you like me to wait outside, or…?"

"No, come in," Nicky said as he pulled into the parking lot. "I might…uh…take a while. I still have to take a shower," she explained, opening the car door and getting out.

Edgeworth got out too and locked the car. "I understand. I expected this. Our reservations are not until seven-thirty, so you have plenty of time."

"Reservations?" she breathed, stopping at the door to the apartment building. She stared at him as he caught up with her. Her reaction seemed to amuse him—he adopted that lopsided smirk again.

"Yes," he told her, watching her open the door. "_Reservations_."

She led him up the stairs and to her apartment, where she fumbled with the key in the lock before she finally opened the door. Edgeworth followed her inside and shut the door behind him as Nicky shed her coat.

"Have a seat," she told him, gesturing to the pale blue couch. "Um, there's coffee and tea in the kitchen, if you want any."

"Tea?" he said, raising his eyebrows. "I thought you said tea was too expensive for you."

"Well," she mumbled, feeling…well, she felt like a _foolish fool_. "_You_ like it, right?" _Oh my God._ She did not just say that. She did not just say that! She felt her hands trembling.

Edgeworth's smirk came out of hiding. "Did you really buy it for me?"

"Well, I got some extra pay…so I had some extra money…so I bought tea. It's—it's just green tea," she said quickly. "It's not anything fancy, like earl gray, or…something. I—I just, y'know, b-bought it, b-because…well, I like green tea, and I figured th-that you, y'know, might be coming over again. Not that I was counting on it! But I hoped—I'm gonna go take a shower!" she cried finally, throwing her hands into the air. "I'll be out when I'm ready!"

Edgeworth smiled slightly as she fled the room.

* * *

Nicky stood in the shower, meticulously rubbing soap over every inch of her body. She was trying to rid herself of any trace of fast-food scent. When dining with Miles Edgeworth, smelling like French fries and burgers just wouldn't do.

Convinced that she no longer smelled like work, she rinsed off and hopped out of the shower, grabbing her towel and drying off quickly. It had been about five-thirty when they arrived, so she only had two hours to get ready and get to the restaurant if they wanted to make the reservations. That didn't leave enough time for her hair to air-dry, so she pulled out her barely-used hair dryer and commenced using it.

It only took a little while for Nicky's hair to dry. Today, it was being good to her. Usually she had to waste a lot of time with a curling iron and use a great deal of hair spray to get it to look halfway decent, but now it fell around her shoulders softly and stylishly after only a simple brushing, making her clap her hands happily. Now it was time to get into her dress, a black strapless number that fit her form until it got to the skirt, which flared out, pleated, and stopped at her knees. She struggled into her pantyhose and pulled on her strappy high-heels.

Nicky checked herself in the mirror. Makeup—it wasn't like she could do anything to improve it if it wasn't good by now, so she decided it was good. Hair—she gave it a little flip and smiled. Dress—she smoothed it out before okaying herself to head out to Edgeworth, heart beating wildly.

_Oh my._ Edgeworth was speechless as Nicky came out of her room and timidly called for him to look at her from the couch.

"Is it too much?" she asked, running a hand down her stomach and looking down at it.

"No, of course not," Edgeworth assured her, a bit quickly. He cleared his throat. "It's…perfect. You look beautiful," he finished, hoping that statement wasn't too much. A bright smile lit up her entire face as she walked towards him.

"Thanks, Edgey," she said nervously. He offered her his arm again.

"M'lady," he said. "Shall we be off, then?"

It took her a while to answer. She appeared slightly flustered. He watched her, and the notion of her beauty came back to him. He admired her long brown hair, her chocolate-colored eyes, her long eyelashes, her pink lips (which were pursed in confusion and nervousness at the moment).

"Yeah," she replied, allowing herself to smile.


	5. Chapter 5

Edgeworth glanced down at Nicky as they walked to the podium. She looked nervous. One hand rested on the crook of his elbow, and she was biting the thumbnail of the other hand. There was a pleasant murmur of conversation around them, but however pleasant it was, it was loud enough to make him have to lean down and put his mouth almost against her ear to talk to her.

"Why are you so nervous?"

She jumped slightly. "I…"

"You shouldn't bite your nails."

Edgeworth leaned on the podium and towards the host as Nicky immediately put her arm down by her side. "Edgeworth," he said.

"Oh, Mr. Edgeworth!" The host smiled and nodded. "Yes, yes, right this way." He stepped away from his podium and led them through a maze of tables made of polished, dark-colored wood with important-looking people sitting at them. Edgeworth glanced down at Nicky, who was looking around at everything with a look of astonishment. He saw her eyes widen as they fell on the string quartet and the dance floor, where some couples were waltzing.

"Your table for this evening, sir," the host said, stopping at a table for two. He made to pull out a chair, but Edgeworth held up his hand sternly. The host inclined his head and Edgeworth took his place, pulling out the chair and gesturing towards it while smiling slightly at Nicky.

Nicky sat down in the chair carefully and Edgeworth sat across from her. "May I interest the lovely couple in some wine for this evening?" the host asked, setting menus in front of them. Edgeworth felt himself blush a bit and looked across the table at Nicky, who was looking down at the table, embarrassed. Why was _he_ blushing? He knew they weren't a couple. Still, it was a tad embarrassing to have someone assume…

"We're not…" Edgeworth trailed off.

"Oh—my apologies, sir," the host replied quickly. "But would the sir and lady like wine?"

"I don't drink," Nicky said in a small voice.

"No thank you," Edgeworth told him.

"Very well, sir. What would you like to drink?"

"Tea for me, please," Edgeworth told him. The host rattled off a list of teas to choose from, and Edgeworth chose the one that seemed, to Nicky, the most difficult to pronounce.

"And for the lady?"

"Water, please," Nicky said, looking up and smiling. As the host bowed and went away, Edgeworth leaned forward over the small table and placed his hand on it. His fingertips brushed hers by accident, and he pulled his hand back a little.

"You didn't have to order water. You could have gotten something else. Something that had a price."

"I wanted water," Nicky told him defensively. "I can't very well come here and order Dr. Pepper or something. And besides, this entire place looks…expensive."

Edgeworth smiled at her. "You are a very considerate woman," he said. "I like that about you." She smiled brightly at him, and he picked up the menu. She followed suit. "Do you see anything you like?"

"_Edgeworth_," Nicky whispered.

"Yes?"

"Do you realize that there are _no prices in this menu_?" She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"Yes, Nicky," Edgeworth replied, amused. "I do. It's so ladies who are being treated to dinner don't worry about the cost."

"No it's not," Nicky told him. "It's because everything here is so expensive they don't show it in the menu!"

"Did you not hear me, Nicky?" Edgeworth asked. "Ladies being treated to dinner _don't worry about the cost_."

"But—"

"M'lady," he said firmly, and she clamped her mouth shut and blushed fiercely. "You are being treated to dinner."

They sat in silence for a few moments as they perused the menu. Edgeworth stroked his chin, trying to decide between two items, when Nicky spoke again.

"Edgey."

Why did he feel so strangely…_happy_…when she called him that? "Yes?" He looked at her from over the top of his menu.

"I…don't know what any of this means."

He suppressed the urge to laugh at her defeated expression. "If you trust me enough, I will order for you."

Nicky nodded fervently. It made him happy again to see that she trusted him, even a little. After all, he had tried to prosecute her earlier.

The waiter came, and Edgeworth ordered their food and handed him the menus. The waiter bowed and left promptly. Edgeworth held his hand out over the table, palm up. "Would you like to dance?"

Nicky panicked. She looked over at the dance floor. "They're all waltzing," she said.

"Yes," Edgeworth replied.

"I haven't waltzed since I had to learn in high school for Music Appreciation," she told him, still eyeing the dance floor.

"It will be like riding a bicycle. Waltzing is hard to forget."

"Not for me." Nicky glanced back at him, his hand out, palm up expectantly. It was always hard to tell what he was thinking, what with his permanently furrowed brow and slight frown. It was when he cocked an eyebrow and lifted the corner of his mouth that she knew what he was thinking, and she loved it when that happened. Right now, however, he did not have that lopsided smile. "Can you re-teach me very quickly?" she asked hesitantly. To her delight, his face formed that expression she loved so much. It was answer enough for her. She reached out and placed her hand in his, and he stood up and helped her out of her chair. When she was up, he curved his hand gently on the back of her elbow and led her to the dance floor amid the waltzing couples.

"Do you remember how to stand?" he asked her. Her brow furrowed as she reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder. Whereas she found him hard to read, he could read her like a book. He could tell she was trying very hard to remember, to please him. He grasped her other hand in his and placed his free hand on the small of her back. "Ready?" he asked her. "The tempo—that is, the speed of the music—is slow."

"I know what tempo is," she murmured. "I used to play in a symphony."

He raised his eyebrows. "Impressive, m'lady."

"Thank you," she told him, looking up and smiling.

"Ready? I step forward, you step back—no, _other_ foot, Nicky, I don't want to step on you."

"Sorry!"

"Again—I step forward, and you step back—excellent. Now, to the right—no, _my_ right—let me lead, please, m'lady."

"I'm sorry!"

"It's quite all right." For all his stern demeanor, Edgeworth was actually enjoying himself thoroughly. "Now, to your left…no, that's your right, Nicky. Your left, my right."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

"Do not panic, Nicky. To err is human, remember. I have you. I will correct it."

Nicky nodded sternly, and they began to waltz, haltingly at first, but more swiftly as she got the hang of it again. "Now, Nicky," Edgeworth said. "Do not look at your feet."

"What do I look at?" she asked.

"Look up at me."

She raised her face, and her eyes locked onto his, a slightly scared look in them. Their eyes stayed locked together, and he saw hers harden with determination at learning this dance. As she got used to it, they danced more smoothly and fluently. Her eyes softened and she smiled, seeming to enjoy herself. He sent her into a little twirl, and she laughed as she did it.

The song's tempo slowed. The other couples on the dance floor all got closer to one another. Nicky looked around nervously, and Edgeworth pressed her gently towards him. "You must dance close for this song," he told her. She nodded. She was shorter than he—his cheek brushed against the side of her head, and the scent of her shampoo filled his nostrils. She was such a trustworthy person…perhaps he could…

His body stiffened slightly as he thought of what he was going to do. He bent his head slightly to put his lips by her ear.

"The DL-6 Incident," he mumbled.

"What?" she asked.

"Don't lift your head," he told her. "My past…the DL-6 Incident."

Nicky blinked, staring blankly onto a space of Edgeworth's lapel. Her words came floating back to her. _"One day, I hope you can tell me about your past."_ She nodded. _What's going on?_ she wondered.

"When I was a boy, I wanted to be a defense attorney…like my father. He had just finished a case against Manfred von Karma, a formidable opponent who hadn't lost a case. He didn't lose to my father, either, but my father dealt him a serious blow in court, exposing the fact that he used false evidence in a trial…"

Nicky's eyes widened with horror as he told the rest of the tale—the earthquake, the elevator, the murder. He paused and his voice shook ever so slightly as he told her about his father getting shot. Her hand tightened on the fabric of his suit. "Edgey," she whispered, and he stopped. "Edgey…you don't have to tell me any more tonight if you don't want to."

He was quiet for a few seconds. "Do you not want to hear anything else?"

"I told you that I wanted to hear your entire past, and I meant it," she told him. "But, Edgey…" She closed her eyes. It sounded as though it was a painful past to recite, but she couldn't very well emasculate him by saying so. "If you don't want to continue, you don't have to."

They waltzed slowly in silence for a little bit longer. The string quartet continued to play their song and the couples continued to dance; one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three…

"If you don't mind too much," Edgeworth whispered, his voice stronger, "I would like to continue my tale at a later date."

She nodded. His body relaxed slightly, and they waltzed a bit smoother. She felt a strange warmth rising up in her chest. He hardly knew her at all, but he had decided to tell her about his past? She smiled as she thought of it, happy that he would trust her that much. This conversation seemed very intimate, and she closed her eyes as she spoke to him again in a soft whisper.

"Edgey," she said.

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

The song ended and all the couples broke apart. Nicky and Edgeworth lingered for a few moments. He looked at her with his serious expression. "No," he told her. "Thank _you_."

She could swear she was about to cry. She wasn't sure what she was doing. Everything around her stopped as she stared up at Edgeworth's handsome face, his brow furrowed as usual. Her thoughts momentarily fled.

Nicky stood up on tiptoe and put her lips to Edgeworth's.

She pulled away quickly and took a step back, hands flying to her mouth. "I'm sorry!" she said. "I'm really sorry! I…"

"It's…all right," Edgeworth said after some consideration. And surprisingly, it was. It had been quite nice, actually. The music started up with another waltz. He took a step towards her, closing the distance between them, and put his arm around her back again, taking up her hand.

The rest of the evening went smoothly. They danced some more, they ate, they had lively conversation. Edgeworth paid the bill and they left the way they had come in, Nicky nervously hanging onto Edgeworth's arm. He drove her home and walked her to her apartment door.

"Well…g'night, Edgey," she said with a smile as she unlocked her door. "We should…um…do something together again some time." She pulled a piece of paper out of the small bag she held and wrote down her number. "Here. You should…uh…call me."

"Yes," he replied, taking the paper and tucking it into his pocket. "I will."

"Good. Okay…good night!" She smiled at him, her hand resting on her doorknob.

He stood there for a moment. "Perhaps we shouldn't kiss anymore," he told her.

Nicky's entire face turned bright red. "Oh—right. I—I'm sorry! I'm really sorry. I don't know what got into me—"

"That's not what I'm looking for right now," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, of course you're not! Yeah!"

"We can spend some time together. I rather enjoy your company."

"Oh, well…thanks…"

"But as for kissing and intimate behavior…well, I'd really rather hold off on that. You understand."

"Yeah! Yeah…I enjoy your company too, Edgeworth. Uh…"

"Well, now that we're in agreement…good night."

"Yeah, good night." She turned her doorknob and attempted to walk through her door, but she forgot to unlock it and smacked right into it. "Oh—oops—"

Edgeworth watched her fumble with her keys in the lock. She finally got the door unlocked, but forgot to turn the doorknob and ran into the door again. She was so flustered, Edgeworth felt sorry for her, and he wondered whether he should have waited to confront her about this. He leaned around her and turned the doorknob, pushing open her door easily. Too late, he realized this brought his face close to hers. Her eyes were wide and scared.

"G-g'night," she stammered, and she hurried around him and pushed the door shut. He heard the lock click. He turned to head toward the elevator at the end of the hall, but before he could take a step away, he heard her say distinctly, "I am such an _idiot_!"

He almost laughed as he neared the elevator. She was actually rather cute.


	6. Chapter 6

_Sorry for the uber-long wait, you guys...so here it is!! Please don't hurt me for making you wait...*hides behind Gumshoe*_

* * *

Franziska von Karma walked into Miles Edgeworth's office, pulling her whip taut and planting her feet firmly shoulder-width apart. He didn't look up from his desk anymore when she came in—he was used to her. She wasn't sure if she enjoyed that or not.

"Miles Edgeworth," she said.

"Yes, Ms. von Karma."

She let her whip unravel and gave it a crack against the carpeted floor. With a sigh, Edgeworth put aside his papers and looked up at her. Franziska smiled coldly. "I have been presented with a case, Miles Edgeworth."

"Very nice. Why are you telling me about this?"

She frowned. She hated it when he didn't care. "A murder case," she told him. "A serial killing, in fact. The man hardly leaves behind any evidence, but this time he made just enough mistakes for the police to catch him. He's in custody right now, being questioned. They have asked _me_ to prosecute him."

"Indeed." Edgeworth picked up his pen and scooted his papers back in front of him.

"Do not ignore me, Miles Edgeworth!" Franziska cracked her whip on the couch at the side of the room.

"Ms. von Karma," Edgeworth said without looking up. "I am _busy_. Please leave me to my work today, I beg of you."

Franziska promptly wound her whip around her hand, indignant. She watched as he bent his head over his work, wearing a concentrating frown. A strange feeling of—of _what_, exactly?—bloomed in her stomach. She was never sure when it came to Edgeworth. Lately, she had been feeling the need to impress him, to get him to look at her and give her some sort of recognition. What was this? Love? It couldn't be.

Without a word, Franziska whirled and took leave of Edgeworth's office. She didn't need him.

Or did she?

* * *

Edgeworth glanced at the clock. It was about time for Nicky to be getting off work. He picked up his office phone and dialed the number to her cell. It rang a few times before she picked up.

"Hello?"

"Nicky," he said into the phone. He felt a bit nervous. He didn't know what exactly to say to her, seeing as he had never really had a casual conversation on the phone before. He was totally unaware, however, that if anyone was standing there watching him, they wouldn't even begin to guess at the feelings going on inside him. His face was always so inscrutable.

"Edgey," she replied happily. "I didn't expect you to call."

"And why not?" he asked her. "You gave me your number. You told me to call you, and I have done it."

Nicky laughed. "You're so funny, Edgey."

He blinked. He wasn't aware that he had made a joke. "What are you doing right now?" That was something people asked each other on the phone, wasn't it?

"Well, me and Larry were gonna go grab some dinner."

"Larry?" He hadn't been expecting to hear that name. "Larry Butz?"

"Yeah! We're taking the new manager out. Her name's Carol. We're getting to know her, making her feel welcome…y'know?"

"You are…_friends_…with Larry Butz?"

"Oh, yeah. We're pretty close, actually. Him and Phoenix Wright were the only people who believed I was innocent when…" Her voice caught and she stopped talking. Her breathing became ragged.

"Nicky," he said. It would be a disaster if she cried. What could he say? "Did you know that you looked beautiful last night?" There. Perhaps changing the subject and complimenting her would make her feel better.

"Aw, you're just saying that," she mumbled.

Oh, great. Now it was his turn to say something. "I don't say things I don't mean." Well, that was true.

"Edgey," Nicky said suddenly. "I have to go. But…tomorrow. What are you doing tomorrow?"

"Nothing that I know of," he replied.

"You showed me your world yesterday," she said. "Tomorrow, I'll show you mine. Come pick me up at work. I'll have already changed by the time you get there."

"I will." He was surprised by her commanding tone. "I suppose that I shall see you tomorrow, then."

"See ya later!"

"Good-bye," he said. He put the phone on its cradle and leaned on his desk, wondering what she had planned.

* * *

Nicky waited outside the next day, Larry standing beside her. "So, your friend's gonna come pick you up?"

"Yep!" she replied. She tugged on her hoodie sleeve. All her other hoodies were being washed, so she was wearing a very thin one.

"What are you guys gonna do?"

"Just some stuff," she told him noncommittally.

"Nicky, I'm gonna ask you straight, okay?" Nicky turned and looked at Larry, who put his hands in his jacket pockets. "Who is your _friend_ that you're spending so much time with?"

"One of your friends, actually," Nicky told him brightly.

"Nick?" Larry asked.

"Nope!"

"Edgey?" There was something strange about his voice when he asked.

Nicky nodded happily. "Yep! Edgey."

"He tried to prosecute you." Larry frowned and folded his arms, cocking his head. "Why are you being all buddy-buddy with him?"

"I forgave him, Larry. It's what people do—forgiveness. You should try it sometime." Nicky smiled brightly. "He's a really nice guy!"

"How did you two…_meet_, exactly?"

Just then, Edgeworth's bright red car pulled up to the curb and Edgeworth himself stepped out, wearing his usual somber expression. His eyes flicked over Larry briefly before targeting Nicky, who didn't feel like explaining her meeting with Edgeworth anyway. It was something she wanted to keep inside for a while.

Edgeworth came to stand before her. "Where are we going?" he asked her.

Larry frowned. He looked over at Nicky, who was smiling and looking up at Edgey as though he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It looked a lot like she was in love. Larry's heart faltered, and his stomach did a crazy turn. Nicky and Edgey? Edgey and Nicky? But Nicky was fun, nice, considerate, charming! What was Edgeworth? A stick-in-the-mud, too serious all the time, and sometimes out-and-out mean. Larry was fun and nice and charming! Why didn't Nicky look at _him_ the way she was looking at Edgeworth? What had he done to get her attention this way?

"You'll see," Nicky answered Edgeworth happily. "Don't worry, I've got it all covered." She lifted up the plastic bag she had in her hand, which appeared to be full of Styrofoam boxes. Her uniform was folded neatly inside.

"Your uniform will help us?" Edgeworth asked, eyeing the bag.

"_No_," Nicky laughed. "Let's go. See ya, Larry!"

Edgeworth opened Nicky's door for her, and she got inside the car. He shut the door and walked around to the driver's side.

Larry gave them a thumbs-up as they drove away, feeling as though his heart was underneath Edgeworth's tires.


	7. Chapter 7

"Where are we going?" Edgeworth asked again.

"Turn here," Nicky said, pointing. "Don't ask so many questions, Edgey."

After a while, Edgeworth pulled into the parking lot by the park. "The park?" he asked as Nicky pointed out a parking spot. He parked and Nicky practically leapt out of the car, leaving her uniform in Edgeworth's car but taking the plastic bag.

Edgeworth followed her through the entrance to the park. They walked around for a while until Nicky stepped down a path that looked as if it weren't used very often. Trees grew on either side of it, branching out and forming a shelter above them. It eventually turned into a dead end, but Nicky stepped over some underbrush and continued walking. She led him for a few minutes longer until a large clearing opened up before them. The grass was lush, even though it was getting close to winter.

"Are we allowed to be here?" Edgeworth asked, looking around.

Nicky shrugged as she pulled out her Styrofoam boxes. At the bottom of the bag was a blanket, and she spread it out. It was pastel green with pink flowers. She set all the Styrofoam boxes on the blanket and sat down herself, patting a spot next to her.

Edgeworth sat down on the blanket. "This is my world," she told him happily. "And now you're part of it." She pointed at the trees. "They grow cherry blossoms in the spring."

"And what do you have in those boxes?"

"Sandwiches," she replied. "I kept them in the fridge at work. Hope you like turkey."

He felt himself smiling. "I do." They chatted for a while, describing their days. Despite the strange fiasco a couple of days ago, Nicky felt as if they were becoming friends. Sure, she had feelings for him, but that didn't mean they couldn't be friends.

"So, does this von Karma chick…_like_ you?"

"What?" Edgeworth almost laughed. He had never heard Franziska described as "this von Karma chick", but even more preposterous was the notion that she _liked_ him. "We grew up together. She is like my sister."

"Oh. Well, it sounds like she likes you to me. Always coming in, bragging, trying to get you to notice her."

"That's just the way Ms. von Karma is. She's been that way since…well, since we were young." His face was changing, hardening. He appeared to grow tense before her eyes. Nicky shifted on the blanket. Was he going to start telling her more about his past? She was actually very surprised that he was doing this, but it made her feel as if they were dating. She liked that—she could pretend, right?

"I wish to tell you more of my past now."

She nodded. He looked away from her and laced his fingers together, closing his eyes before he spoke. He told her of his childhood and how he never got over his fear of earthquakes.

"Recently, I myself required Mr. Wright's services," he told her. She frowned, surprised. "I was suspected of murder. I was framed. It was Manfred von Karma's revenge." Something in his voice sounded funny, and he paused.

"Do you want to tell me that story sometime later?"

He nodded.

"Edgey." She shifted uncomfortably, trying to think of what to say. "It's okay. You don't have to tell me all at once."

"Well, you seem very kind," he told her. "I know how I am. Cold, ruthless…most people don't see why. I'd like you to at least know _why_, especially if we're going to be spending a lot of time together."

"Edgeworth!" she said sternly. "You haven't been cold to _me_ yet. Nor have you been ruthless." She smiled brightly, but her head was reeling. "But come on, let's eat. I made these sandwiches to be _eaten_, not to sit here while we talk about deep stuff."

"You're right," he told her. The strange mood around them lifted and they continued to chat about nothing as they finished their sandwiches. The entire time, Nicky couldn't help being excited. _Especially if we're going to be spending a lot of time together._ He wanted to spend a lot of time with her? Were they dating? What did this mean?

Halfway through her sandwich, Nicky set it down and chewed thoughtfully to keep her teeth from chattering. It was very cold now that it was getting later in the afternoon. She rubbed her hand against her arm, trying to warm it up. Edgeworth set down his own sandwich.

"Are you cold? Would you like my coat?"

"Oh—I'm fine."

But Edgeworth was already taking off his coat. He handed it to her, and she took it from him and held it awkwardly.

"Put it on," he encouraged her. She did so. It was much too large for her. His shoulders were broader than hers, and her fingertips barely poked out of the end of the sleeves. It smelled like him—she was delirious, almost, breathing in his scent. "You look very good in burgundy."

_Oh, is _that_ how he justifies wearing this color,_ she thought. _He calls it burgundy._ "Thanks," she said. "But, I don't want _you _to be cold."

"It wouldn't do to let a lady shiver," Edgeworth replied. Nicky smiled as she reached for her sandwich. He was such a gentleman.

* * *

_Oookay, so I can't remember who I've thanked and who I haven't, so I'll just thank everyone!! Much thanks to:_

_**Princess one99five **(a pretty faithful reviewer)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(a reviewer who is faithful in the sense that he reviews most of my stores :D...also, seems to have a snazzy cape)_

_**hatorisgirl 15 **(a one-time reviewer)_

_**Anmynous **(a two-time reviewer...not to be confused with two-**timing** reviewer XD)_

_**MystikMagick **(a one-time reviewer)_

_**brunette-lady23 **(a one-time reviewer...who I thank for making me feel confident in writing self-insert fanfics...)_


	8. Chapter 8

"Miles Edgeworth!"

"Ms. von Karma, unless it is important, _please_ leave my office. You come in every day and say practically nothing!" Edgeworth slammed his pen down and looked up at her angrily.

Franziska stiffened. She quickly whipped his desk. "It _is_ important," she barked.

Edgeworth sighed. It had been at least a week since he and Nicky had last talked about his past. They had been seeing each other almost every night after she got off work. Once, they had gone over to Phoenix Wright's office to watch _Pink Princess_ with him and Maya. Nicky and Maya seemed to be very good friends—apparently, they talked quite a lot on the phone.

"Do you have any other cases at the moment?" Franziska asked.

Edgeworth glanced at the clock on his desk. It was time for Nicky to get off work. They hadn't planned anything, but she normally took a cab to his office every day and they decided what to do then. They were acting a lot like a couple, he realized.

Franziska whipped his desk again. "Miles Edgeworth!"

"No," he answered hotly. "I do not. Why do you ask, Ms. von Karma?"

Franziska pursed her lips and wound the whip around her hand, pulling it taut. "I rather loathe having to do this, Miles Edgeworth. I do hate stooping to foolishly asking foolish fools for assistance…but it is something that must be done. I wonder if you could…assist me…in handling the case I have been given."

Of all the things in the world, this was the one Edgeworth had been least expecting to come from Franziska's lips. He leaned back in his chair and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Well, insulting your potential partner is no way to earn their favor," he said as he considered.

Franziska crossed her arms and looked away. "I apologize for calling you a fool," she said through her teeth.

Edgeworth raised his eyebrows visibly. _She must be extremely desperate,_ he thought, surveying her rigid shoulders and stiff posture. He knew how it pained her to ask for help—she was a von Karma, after all. He crossed his arms over his chest. "Very well, Ms. von Karma," he said finally. "I will assist you. If you would please bring me up to speed, as it were, we can get started immediately."

"The curator of a museum was calculated to be the killer's next target," Franziska told him. "Once they were notified of this, the museum hired Adrian Andrews to do security. Unfortunately, she didn't get the call until very late, and when she came foolishly rushing to the museum, she actually witnessed the murder. Luckily, the killer didn't see her. Her testimony is going to prove extremely useful."

"I see…and what evidence have you collected?"

Franziska opened her mouth at the same time Nicky opened the door. "Hi, Edgey!" she said, shutting it behind her. She came bounding into the room, shedding her hoodie and throwing it on the couch. She had started changing into regular clothes before she came, and she was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.

"Hello, Nicky," he said. Franziska whirled on her heel.

"You have foolishly interrupted me, you foolish fool of a girl!" She brought her whip around to whip Nicky across the cheek with it, making a cut on her cheekbone and drawing blood. Edgeworth leapt from his chair and opened his mouth, all sorts of things running through his mind. How dare she do that to meek little Nicky! He was enraged enough to grab her from behind and throw her out his window, but before he could speak…

"You _bitch_!" Nicky screamed. Her left hand swung deftly and knocked the whip to the floor while she came around with a right hook, punching Franziska in the face. Franziska von Karma fell to the floor.

Edgeworth was dumbfounded. "No fighting in my office, please," he said, coming around his desk.

Nicky stared down at Franziska, who sat up and whipped off one of her gloves. She touched her bare hand to her nose and it came away bloody. Staring at the red liquid dripping from her fingers, Franziska started to laugh. Nicky soon joined in, and she reached down and helped Franziska to her feet.

"Edgey, do you have any tissues?" Nicky asked, still laughing. Edgeworth reached for the box of Kleenex he kept on his desk, absolutely bewildered. Women were so confusing. They continued to laugh hysterically as they pulled tissues from the box.

Franziska cleaned up her nose, picked her whip up off the floor, and replaced her glove. "We shall continue this talk sometime later, Miles Edgeworth," she told him, still chuckling a bit. With that, she turned and left Edgeworth's office.

"How's it look?" Nicky could barely breathe. She turned her head a bit so he could look at the mark on her cheek. There was a thin line there, but there was no more blood. Edgeworth shook his head.

"It appears fine. Once again, Nicky, you surprise me."

Nicky laughed and looked down, blushing slightly. Edgeworth reached out and gently touched the line on her cheekbone. "That might scar," he said softly. "Does it hurt?" He began to trace it lightly.

"No," she said. She stared up into his eyes, spellbound as his fingertips moved gently over her cheek. He was worried about her. He was _touching_ her! Her breath caught in her throat. His face was close. She could kiss him…they had been seeing each other for over a week now…perhaps it was time…could she do it? She had been thinking about his lips ever since that first time she had kissed him, but she had been too afraid to do it. She started shifting, and his eyes snapped to hers. Oh, goodness. He was paying attention to her eyes now. Was he giving her permission? Could she do it? She leaned slightly forward—and suddenly winced, closing her eyes. "But _that_ did."

"Oh!" Edgeworth snatched his hand away from her. "I apologize severely," he said quickly.

"You're so eloquent, Edgey." Nicky smiled at him. "It's okay, it didn't hurt all _that_ much." _But I'm so disappointed I can barely breathe, _she thought bitterly.

"Eloquent?" he asked, looking down at her with his little smirk.

"Yes."

"Thank you for the compliment." Edgeworth stepped up to her and placed his hand on her face again, but on the opposite cheek. Nicky stared up into his eyes wonderingly. What was he about to do? He leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers.

Nicky shuddered and closed her eyes.

Their first kiss. Their first _real_ kiss! His hand was warm against her cheek, and it was so large that his fingers curved around the back of her neck and poked into her hair. Now that she thought about it, perhaps it being "too soon" wasn't his only problem with that kiss that had happened a week or so ago. Maybe it was the fact that he wasn't in control. Whatever the case, they were kissing _now_, and that was fine with her.

Edgeworth slowly pulled away, and Nicky opened her eyes almost as slowly. He stared down at her, the corner of his mouth lifted in his half-smile. Nicky smiled back. She had wanted this for so long, ever since she had laid eyes on him, almost. She was deliriously happy to finally get it.

Finally Edgeworth removed his hand from her face. Nicky reached for it once it got down to his side and tentatively laced her fingers through his. He smiled and allowed her to hold his hand, and Nicky thought that her heart might burst from too much happiness.

"Are we…" Nicky couldn't form the words, so the question died in her throat. What if he said no?

"Are we what?" Edgeworth asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing." No need to rush it, she supposed. This was all she needed for right now. She smiled up at him, happily holding his hand.

"No, what were you going to say?"

Oh, right. She forgot that Edgeworth pursued things.

"Are we _dating_? Are we _a couple_? Were those any of the words you were looking for?" He cocked his head slightly. "Are we _an item_? Are we _together_? Are we…_us_?"

Nicky blinked. Actually, she was just going to settle on _dating_, but those all sounded good too. He leaned forward and kissed her again, but it was small—he really just brushed his lips against hers. Nevertheless, Nicky could hardly breathe with excitement.

"The answer is yes," Edgeworth said. "That is, if you wish to be."

"I do wish!" Nicky exclaimed happily. "I mean…yeah. That sounds good," she added, more calmly.

Edgeworth chuckled slightly. Nicky reached up and hugged him. After a few seconds, she stepped back. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Miles." Then she frowned. "That's weird. It's really weird to call you Miles."

"It's very strange hearing it," he replied.

"It's like it doesn't suit you. You don't _look_ like a Miles."

"So many people call me Edgeworth."

"Maybe I'll just keep calling you Edgey."

"That's a good idea."

They kissed again before Nicky left his office, bubbling with happiness.


	9. Chapter 9

"I will be accompanying Ms. von Karma down to the precinct today," Edgeworth said into the phone. "It will help me better understand the case I am currently assisting her with."

"Okay!" came Nicky's voice happily. "I'll just call Maya and spend the day with her and Larry!"

Edgeworth's stomach twinged with jealousy at the mention of Larry, even though he knew it shouldn't. She didn't feel that way about him, but he knew the Butz—he was a pushover for women, and Edgeworth knew that he was probably obsessing over her right now. "Excellent idea," he told her. "Tell Ms. Fey and Larry that I said hello."

"I will!" Nicky said brightly.

"I must go now. It's almost time to go down to the precinct. We are taking _my_ car," he added, a bit sourly.

"Ah. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"Most likely," Edgeworth replied.

"Good. Edgey?"

"Yes?"

She paused. The only sound was her excited breathing. "I miss you," she said hurriedly.

"Nicky," he said quickly, before she hung up. Every time they were on the phone, she said "I miss you," and then "Bye!" extremely fast, probably to escape embarrassment.

"Yeah?" Nicky mumbled.

"I miss you as well." He heard her giggle slightly. "Good-bye, m'lady."

"Bye," she said softly, and then she hung up.

Edgeworth leaned over and hung up his phone, too, before standing up and picking up his briefcase. It had been almost two weeks since they had kissed in his office and he had finally decided that he wanted them to be a couple. It was working out rather well; he really did like her. She always seemed to surprise him. She seemed to become instant friends with Franziska, and when she dropped in his office after work Franziska usually came in to chat with her. They, too, shared phone conversations. Edgeworth was confused by this, but to each his (or her, he supposed) own.

He walked out his door, locked it behind him, and made the small trip down the hall to Franziska von Karma's office, who came out of her office at the first knock and followed Edgeworth down to the parking garage. Edgeworth opened his door and tossed his briefcase in the backseat.

"Are you not going to open the door for a lady?" Franziska demanded.

"Certainly I will," Edgeworth told her, right before getting into the car and shutting his own door. In a huff, Franziska opened her door and sat down in the passenger's seat. "Buckle up," he reminded her.

Dick Gumshoe met Franziska and Edgeworth at the door, breathing excitedly like he always was.

"Mr. Edgeworth! What are you doing here, pal? You don't have any cases!"

Franziska went rigid and folded her arms across her chest as Edgeworth spoke. "I am here to offer my assistance to Ms. von Karma, actually."

"Oh! Well, we just uncovered some new evidence, but it's down at the detention center right now."

Franziska whipped Gumshoe on his chest. "Why? What kind of foolish fool would foolishly take case evidence to a foolish detention center?!"

Gumshoe seemed to slump visibly. "I don't know, sir."

Edgeworth stifled the urge to heave a sigh of disappointment. Gumshoe never changed. "Well, shall we head to the detention center then, Ms. von Karma?"

Franziska whipped him across the shoulder, and he closed his eyes in quiet frustration. "This is my case! I will make the decisions!"

"Very well then. What would you have us do next, Ms. von Karma?"

Franziska placed a hand on her hip thoughtfully. "I say…we should go to the detention center to ask the foolish fool there exactly what he did foolishly taking evidence to a detention center!" She whipped Edgeworth's shoulder again. "You should have known that!"

Edgeworth's fists clenched, and suddenly he saw in his mind's eye the image of Nicky punching Franziska in the face. He smiled slightly as he turned away from her and towards his car. "Very well."

They drove down to the detention center, leaving Gumshoe at the precinct. Once inside, Franziska began whipping every guard she found, demanding the new evidence.

"That is him." Edgeworth jumped as Franziska appeared at his shoulder. "Over at that table, talking to his lawyer. The defendant, Theodore Kiln."

The man Franziska was indicating was of average height and slim build. His hair was stringy, blonde, and tousled, and he had extremely wide, round eyes. When he spoke, Edgeworth caught glimpses of eerily jagged teeth. He was clothed in black. His lawyer said something and he laughed—no, more like _cackled_. The sound sent shivers up and down Edgeworth's spine.

"He knows I am prosecuting him," Franziska said. "Look at his _eyes_. Have you ever seen anyone quite so…?" She didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she turned away and pulled her whip taught.

Edgeworth looked at him for a little while longer. If he could even make Franziska von Karma uncomfortable and scared, he _was_ pure evil. He turned to follow Franziska down the way, keeping an eye on Theodore. Before they made it to the other side of the room, Kiln glanced up and met Edgeworth's eyes.

Edgeworth froze. Something about his expression scared him. This man wanted, needed, _craved_ blood. It was written all over his face. The report said that he had killed nine people. _Nine_—and many of them were family members or witnesses, and two had been lovers. A wicked grin crept across Theodore's face, his white, jagged teeth in full view. He slapped the table in front of him. Edgeworth almost broke out into a sweat. This man was threatening him with nothing but his gaze. Edgeworth suddenly thought back to the two lovers he had killed. _He knows that I am helping Franziska von Karma,_ he thought. If that man was ruled innocent or ever broke out of jail, he would find out who was close to Edgeworth. He would seek them out. He would kill the person Edgeworth loved most. _I have to protect that person!_

* * *

Nicky listened as the phone rang and rang and rang. Finally, the person on the other end picked up.

"You have reached the Prosecutor's Office. Miles Edgeworth speaking."

Her heart soared. "Edgey! Hi!"

There was a slight pause. "Hello."

"So, am I going to get to see you today? You're getting more involved in that case, so I didn't know if…y'know…it was okay for me to stop by." She sounded cheery, but really she was hurt very badly. She hadn't seen Edgeworth in three days. He was always distracted when he answered the phone and they only talked for a few minutes. She attributed this to the fact that he was working on the case with Franziska, but it still stung a bit.

"I am busy again today," Edgeworth replied, almost no emotion in his voice.

"Is the case really that hard?"

"Yes. We must pool all our resources. It is a very difficult case."

Nicky frowned, unsure of what to think. "Oh. I'm sorry. Uh, I'll see you sometime later, then, I hope." He didn't answer. "Um…Edgey?"

"Yes?"

"I miss you," she told him softly. He was quiet for a beat.

"I miss you as well," he replied, his entire voice changing. He cleared his throat. "I must go now." The detached tone was back. "I need to get back to the case."

"O-okay…see ya, Edgey!"

"Good-bye." _Click_. The line went dead.

Nicky folded her cell phone and sadly stuck it into her pocket before she flagged down a cab.

* * *

Edgeworth set the phone in its cradle and tried to suppress his guilt. It was for her own good. He didn't want her to get hurt.

Franziska opened Edgeworth's door and walked in, shutting it behind her. He looked up. Amazingly, she hadn't used her whip at all yet.

"Ms. von Karma, I may be helping you on this case, but I still ask that you _knock_ before you enter."

"Miles Edgeworth, I have something I need to say to you." She fiddled with her whip a bit before looking straight at him. "It is of the utmost importance."

Edgeworth nodded. "Please continue."

"I have been trying to avoid this conversation, but I'm afraid it can no longer be pushed aside. After working in such close proximity to you for three days, I feel that I must make you aware of the situation." She folded her arms uncertainly. "I have been having these…_feelings_…toward you. They started long ago, but I suppressed them, not thinking to acknowledge them for what they were. I was too busy with work, with perfection. I foolishly entered this partnership, thinking that they would not be affected."

Edgeworth frowned and crossed his own arms across his chest. He was extremely confused. "Ms. von Karma, what is it that you are talking about?"

Franziska took a deep breath. "I think that I am in love with you, Miles Edgeworth."

Edgeworth blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I will not, however, act on my feelings," she continued as if he had not spoken. "I will acknowledge that they exist, but it stops there. I respect and like Nicky too much to do that to her."

Edgeworth blinked. "What—?"

"Do not be foolish, Miles Edgeworth," Franziska said. "You should know how Nicky feels about you. You are a foolishly foolish fool if you cannot see what sparkles in her eyes when she walks into this room!"

He closed his eyes. This was too much information to take in at one time. First, Franziska von Karma _loved_ him? And second, Franziska von Karma respected—even liked—Nicky? And third, Nicky's eyes sparkled when she walked in?

"You will not hear anything of my feelings toward you again unless they change," Franziska told him. "You may forget what happened if you wish. But don't ask me of my feelings again if you do not wish to act upon feelings of your own." With that, Franziska turned on her heel and promptly left the office, leaving a dumbstruck Edgeworth sitting in his chair.

* * *

_Okay, so at first I wasn't updating at ALL, and now I'm updating two chapters every week just about!! Whoa!! Anyways, time to thank my reviewers:_

_**nick nd maya 4EVER!! **(They said they wanted Nicky to be a character in the game. Teehee! That makes me really happy. XD)_

_**Tiger-the-great-Xtra **("Squeeing joyful awesome sauce", huh?? Well, thank you. XD)_


	10. Chapter 10

A week later, Edgeworth was examining evidence at his desk, going over the report again and again. He wondered how hard he and Franziska would have to push to get the death penalty.

Franziska had been avoiding him lately and hanging more and more around Adrian Andrews, going over her testimony. When Edgeworth was with the two, Franziska did not talk to him at all—only to Adrian, who talked to both of them. He wondered if it was really necessary to spend so much time on a witness testimony that had been flawless from the beginning.

Someone knocked at his door. "Enter," he called distractedly. The door opened and shut. "I will be with you in just a moment." He studied the tip of a knife very carefully before putting it off to the side. He stood up, shuffling things on his desk around, and then finally looked at his visitor.

There stood Nicky, much like she had been the first time she materialized in his office, blue-and-yellow uniform and all. She wore a sad expression. Her eyes had dark purple circles underneath, and the corners of her lips were turned down. The dark circles weren't the only thing one could note about Nicky's eyes—they were also red and swollen, and there was moisture beneath them and on her cheeks.

Edgeworth's heart kicked into overdrive. She wasn't supposed to be here. He glanced at the clock. It was about the usual time she used to show up. She hadn't called. He didn't want it to look like he cared too much for her, just in case…

"Why?" she croaked out suddenly. The sound of her voice made Edgeworth's heart break, but he crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his pointer finger.

"What do you mean?"

"Why are you avoiding me?" Her voice cracked slightly. "Did I do something wrong? I'm sorry. Whatever I did, I'm sorry. Stop avoiding me. I miss you."

"I am not avoiding you," he told her, willing himself not to change his demeanor. "I have simply been very distracted with this case."

Nicky shook her head. "It's more than that, I know. You never call anymore, and when I call you…lately, you haven't even been saying that you miss me. _Do_ you miss me?" she asked desperately.

"I have been distracted. It is a very difficult case," Edgeworth told her. "And as of right now, I have no desire to see you."

A slight pause followed his words...and then Nicky's entire stature changed. It started with her eyes and face—they hardened, her lips pursed into a line, her chin lifted. Her shoulders, instead of slumping, grew stiff. Her hands clenched into fists by her side. He wanted to shrink away from her like a small puppy dog. Surrounding her was an aura of extreme anger. "Fine," she snapped. She whirled on her heel and walked toward the door, yanking it open. She spun around to face him in the doorway. "Do you remember that day in the park when I told you that you hadn't been cold to _me_ yet?"

He was caught off guard by the memory. It was before he had admitted to himself that he had feelings for her…the sandwiches, the blanket, talking about his past…

"Yes," he replied, dropping his arms by his sides.

"Well, it's a damn good thing I said _yet_," she spat, and slammed the door. Edgeworth stood there, dumbfounded, for a few more minutes before crumpling into his chair and leaning his elbows on his desk, burying his face in his hands. He wondered if she knew that she had picked the one thing to say that would hurt him most.

* * *

Nicky wiped tears away from her face as she walked. She wasn't entirely sure where she was going, but her feet knew the way. People walked past, but she ignored them as if they were nothing more than particularly large air molecules. They did the same to her.

It wasn't too long before Nicky found herself in front of the little café down the street from the fast-food restaurant. Without thinking, she opened the door and went inside, sniffling a bit. Round tables dotted the pastel yellow-tiled floor. Booths lined the walls, colored with pastel yellow and cream. The tables had peach tablecloths trimmed in lace draped across them, and the place was deserted but for one person, sitting at a round table and drinking coffee.

"Larry!" Nicky cried, and he looked up and smiled.

"Hey, Nicky," he said, raising his cup of coffee. "You're not at Edgey's today?"

She stopped in her tracks on her way to his table and slowly looked down at her feet. "No," she replied softly.

"Oh, hey," Larry said, jumping up. "C'mere. Lemme give you a hug. What happened?"

Nicky walked over to him and glumly leaned against him, not making any move to hug him back. He cradled her for a while before pulling back and holding her at arm's length.

"What happened, huh?"

"I don't know," Nicky moaned, collapsing onto Larry's chest again. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "I just…don't know."

"Nicky, were you and ole Edgey ever really…_officially_…dating?"

"Yeah," she said, her voice muffled by his blue-and-yellow uniform shirt. "But we're not now."

"What do you mean?"

"He told me that he had no desire to see me."

"Oh, Nicky," Larry gasped, rubbing her back. "You poor baby."

"I don't know what to do!" She sniffed and turned her head so that her cheek was pressed against Larry. "What am I supposed to do?"

Larry was stroking her hair. "I don't know."

"What _can_ I do? I guess I'll just…move on…go on like everything's normal."

"You'll be okay." His other arm was around her waist now, holding her against him.

Nicky sighed and straightened up, looking down at her feet. "Thanks, Larry."

"Hey. You'll move on, right? You'll be okay." Larry slipped his finger underneath Nicky's chin and tilted it up. "Right?" And before Nicky knew it, Larry was kissing her. She hung there limply, not knowing what to do. She hadn't even known Larry had feelings like these for her. Her eyes were still open, staring at an extreme close-up of Larry's eyelashes. He was pulling her against him and cradling the back of her head. His lips were gentle and soft on hers. It had all the makings of a good, nice, romantic kiss—but it wasn't. The only thing Nicky could think about was getting out of this situation, and fast.

Larry pulled away from her and opened his eyes to look straight into hers. He set his forehead against hers. "Most people close their eyes when they kiss, but you're surprised, so I guess it's natural," he told her. He pecked her on the lips again and withdrew his arms. Nicky blinked at him, not saying anything. "I have to go, okay? But I'll see you at work tomorrow." He pulled money out of his pocket and put it on the table. He gave her a quick squeeze around the waist before he left. The bell on the door tinkled merrily and Nicky was absolutely alone in the café.

What the _hell_ was going on?


	11. Chapter 11

Franziska von Karma frowned as she looked through her evidence. The police had only found one murder weapon, and it was an extremely bloodied knife. It was from the latest murder. The victim was the curator of the museum—Kiln had not only killed him, but defaced his body with cuts and stabs. Franziska shook her head. That man gave her the creeps.

In about an hour, she was supposed to head over to a restaurant to have lunch with Adrian Andrews. She was rapidly becoming friends with the woman. She was very pretty, with her blonde hair pinned up behind her head and her small smile. Her top was very interesting, and it left her shoulders bare…her smooth shoulders, which would probably look very good with that blonde hair falling around them as Adrian breathed in, closing her eyes—Franziska shook her head. What types of things was she thinking about?

Her door swung open and she looked up, stomach turning over. Miles Edgeworth slammed the door shut behind him, his eyes big and round. Franziska frowned. He hardly ever came to her office.

"Wait one second," he bellowed. "You are in _love_ with me?"

Franziska grabbed the handle of her whip. "I distinctly remember saying—about a week ago, in fact—that you were not to speak of my feelings unless you wish to act upon feelings of your own."

"And when have I ever listened to _you_?" Edgeworth barked. Franziska stood up and whipped his shoulder. He winced but continued talking. "How can you love me? We were raised together! We learned together! We _bathed_ together! We were practically siblings!"

"Yes, I know. It is very foolish for me to love my little brother…"

"I am older than you," Edgeworth pointed out.

"That is of no consequence." Franziska waved this off. "I considered you my little brother. You were always sniveling and whining…"

"I never whined!"

"Listen to your foolish whining now, you foolish fool!" She put a hand on her hip. "Actually, Miles Edgeworth, since you are here, I would like to ask you a question."

"What is it, Franziska?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Nicky has not appeared here for quite some time. Where is she? What is the reason for this?" Franziska, of course, knew all about Edgeworth's words to Nicky. She just enjoyed seeing him squirm—and he did. He grabbed his arm and looked away.

"I have been…busy…with this case," he told her. "She has been busy with work and her column. We have both been…rather…busy."

"Have you?" Franziska inspected the handle of her whip nonchalantly. "I see. That is very interesting." She turned and whipped him, allowing the whip to sting his cheekbone. He cried out and brought a hand to his face. "I know what happened! I know what you told her!" she shouted. "How could you do that to her? Could you not see how she felt about you?" She crossed her arms as Edgeworth seemed to become a lesser man in front of her. The feelings in her stomach flared up, and she considered them. Was love supposed to be this feeling in particular? She enjoyed exacting her revenge upon Edgeworth, even if it wasn't technically _her_ revenge. No. Love was not this feeling, she decided.

"You are a regular dick," she told him.

"What does Gumshoe have to do with any of this?"

"Leave my office," she spat. "Leave here and consider your foolish actions." Edgeworth did her bidding without a word of protest, and she sat down in her chair. The feelings she felt towards Edgeworth could not be love. Upon discovering this, a wave of relief washed over her. Now all she had to figure out was—what were they? And what were the feelings she had for Adrian Andrews, if she even had them?

With a sigh, Franziska turned over a police report. Compared to this _love_ business, prosecuting was a breeze.

* * *

_Thanks to all my reviewers!_

**_Tiger-the-great-Xtra_**

**_nick nd maya 4EVER!!!_**

**_kRYTEN2X4B523P_**

_Thanks so much you guys!!!_


	12. Chapter 12

Nicky called into work and said that she had the flu. Carol sympathetically told her to take the whole week off—an offer she promptly accepted.

"Oh, and please don't give any of the employees my address," she begged. "I don't want them to get sick, and I really just need my rest now."

"Of course," Carol told her. "I understand. I don't like being bothered when I'm sick, either."

"Not even Larry," Nicky added. _Especially not Larry,_ she thought to herself. She coughed a bit for good measure.

"Oh my," Carol exclaimed. "I'll let you go so you can go sleep, okay? Is there anything I can do?"

"No, I've got plenty of soup and stuff. I'll just rest. Hopefully, I'll be better by the end of the week."

"Oh, sure. Just call me when you feel like you can work again, okay?"

They said good-bye and Nicky hung up, feeling bad for taking advantage of Carol's kindness. She went to the freezer and got out a pint of chocolate ice cream. She was angry at Edgeworth, but that didn't mean she couldn't be sad, too.

Nicky turned on her TV and plopped down on the couch. The news was on this channel, talking about the Theodore Kiln Murders. They flashed a creepy-looking mug shot, but she changed it. There was a romance movie on. She flipped the channel again, but she couldn't find any luck anywhere she flipped—romantic comedy, romance movie, dramatic romance, horror-romance (_what_??), kissing scenes in sitcoms. Finally she turned off the TV, threw the remote into the floor, slumped over on the couch, and sobbed.

* * *

Franziska was incredibly confused.

She had never considered herself to be a woman-lover. She hadn't ever been particularly attracted to the supple curves of a woman's body, or the pink lips on a woman's face. However, she had never considered woman-loving foolish, either. And now, here she was, knowing that she had inadvertently lied to Miles Edgeworth about her love for him. When she thought of him, her stomach still turned over in an unpleasant way, but that was totally different than the feeling in her stomach she got from being around Adrian Andrews. It was as though some fool had foolishly tripped while carrying a box of butterflies, foolishly letting them loose to flit about somewhere around her navel.

"Do you like coffee, Franziska?" Adrian asked her.

"A bit, yes," Franziska replied.

"Would you like to go back to my place and get some?"

_Get some?_ Franziska thought to herself. _Yes. Yes I would._

They drove to Adrian's apartment and entered it, still talking about nothing in particular. Adrian brought up what types of coffee she had as she walked toward the kitchen. "I have espresso, decaf, mocha, cappuccino, whatever! You come in here, too. You can look."

Franziska walked into Adrian's kitchen and looked at the cabinet with coffee in it without interest. She sighed. Perhaps she needed to tell Adrian Andrews. It was foolish of her to keep these feelings to herself. She turned toward her, away from the coffee. "Adrian Andrews, I need to talk to you."

"…okay. Let me make coffee first!"

"No, I would like to do it _now_."

Adrian nodded. "Okay."

"Adrian Andrews, we are friends, no?"

"Of course, Franziska. Why do you ask?" Adrian smiled beautifully. The butterflies flitted madly, and Franziska cleared her throat.

"Well, I have been…feeling…some things around you. I have been feeling some things _toward_ you."

Sweat broke out on Adrian's forehead. "What sort of things?"

Franziska considered this. How would she describe it? "Romantic things."

At this, Adrian's glasses shattered, sending glass flying across the kitchen. Franziska jumped and backed away. "Oh my God! Are you all right? Did any get in your eyes? What happened?"

Adrian smoothly pulled another pair of glasses from her pocket and put them on. "I'm fine. That happens when I get upset or nervous."

Franziska looked around at the shards of glass lying on the kitchen floor. "Your glasses _shatter_ every time you get upset?"

"Yes."

"That seems dangerous. Perhaps you should consider contact lenses. I have seen those—they are rubbery and do not shatter." Franziska continued to look around at the tiny pieces of glass glinting in the overhead light. "Very dangerous indeed," she muttered.

"I've tried," Adrian replied, adjusting her glasses slightly. "I can't touch my eyeball. It freaks me out and makes my skin crawl."

"You cannot touch your eyeball, yet you can have _glass_ explode near them?"

"I know, it's silly, but everyone has their little quirks, right? You have your whip, Edgeworth spreads his hands and shakes his head, Mr. Wright points a lot, Maya Fey smiles and cocks her head, Pearl Fey jumps up and down…everybody's different."

Franziska didn't think any of those things was as severe as glass shattering near one's eyeballs, but they were digressing. "The point is, Adrian Andrews, that I have feelings for you." She tensed, preparing herself for shattering glasses, but it didn't happen. "Do you think that you could…return these feelings?"

Adrian seemed quite nervous indeed. Sweat had broken out on her forehead once again, and she was gritting her teeth and clutching a random book she always had with her. "Franziska, I…didn't think…"

"I understand if you do not."

"No, I mean…I didn't think that…you felt it too." Adrian took a deep breath. "I…feel that way towards you as well."

Franziska could have laughed loudly. "You do?"

"Yes."

"Oh! Well…what do we do now? Do we kiss?"

Adrian's glasses shattered again. Franziska leapt backward, shielding herself. "My goodness! Really, Adrian Andrews! Perhaps you are comfortable with _your_ eyes near all that glass, but I myself am not! If we are to kiss, kindly remove your glasses!"

Adrian laughed. "Okay. I won't put another pair on yet."

Franziska lowered her arms and slowly walked over to Adrian, setting her whip on the counter. "How do we…"

"I'm not sure…I think I just…tilt my head…" Adrian went to move forward, but she slipped on a piece of glass and fell into Franziska, who caught her around the middle. Seeing her chance, Franziska shed her gloves quickly and grabbed the back of Adrian's head, tilting it up and pressing her lips to hers. Adrian whimpered slightly, but her hands snaked up into Franziska's hair.

It was quite romantic, even though glass crunched noisily underneath their feet.

* * *

Edgeworth glanced at the clock. This was usually the time Nicky would show up and add some spice to his monotonous day, but today, that wasn't going to happen. It wasn't going to happen tomorrow, or the next day, or the next day, even.

He was incredibly certain that they had enough evidence to incriminate Theodore Kiln and at least put him behind bars. He put his face in his hands, thinking of Nicky again. He thought of her sweet smile, her understanding eyes, the way she had punched Franziska in the face, the way she always surprised him, how she probably hated him now and never wanted to see him again…how he would never get to hold her, touch her, kiss her, ever again…

Edgeworth sat up as his vision blurred with tears. He was doing the right thing, right? He remembered how hurt and sad she had looked the day she had shown up, her eyes all red and swollen. Was she crying over him now? No, he reasoned. She hated him now.

He slumped over his desk, resigning himself to his fate.


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter 10 was kinda short, so I'm giving you Chapters 10-13 all at once!!!_

* * *

Ten o'clock.

Ten-thirty.

Eleven o'clock.

Eleven-thirty.

"Gaah!" Nicky cried, sitting up in bed. She got up and turned on her bedroom light so she could pace and run her fingers through her hair without stubbing her toe.

It was the night before the day she absolutely _had_ to go back to work. She had spent an entire week alternately hating and missing Edgeworth, but crying either way. She felt as though all the moisture in her body was gone. "I need someone to _talk_ to!" She stopped and looked over her shoulder at her cell phone sitting on her nightstand. If it was possible to have a staring contest with a phone, Nicky did it for a few minutes before pouncing on it and snatching it up. She dialed six numbers before shutting it and pursing her lips, realizing she had just accidentally started to dial Edgeworth's cell phone. Then, suddenly, she had another idea.

The phone rang a few times before someone answered.

"Hello?" said a very not-sleepy, female voice.

"Maya?" Nicky cried happily. "Hey! What are you doing up?"

"Oh, y'know. Just…stuff!"

Nicky waited a few beats. "There's a _Steel Samurai_-rerun marathon on, isn't there?"

"…maybe."

"Maya, I really need to talk to someone. I need to talk to a friend who doesn't want to kiss me."

Maya made a sympathetic noise. The past week, Nicky had spent a lot of time at Phoenix Wright's office. He and Maya knew all about the Edgeworth-Nicky-Larry situation. Little Pearl didn't know anything, however, which was perfectly fine with Nicky—she was refreshing to talk to.

"Okay, Nicky. Fire away."

* * *

Phoenix Wright ran his hands through his spiky hair. He didn't have any clients right now. Maya was over on the couch, watching the _Steel Samurai_-rerun marathon, which was supposed to last for three days. She had already spent last night watching the first day.

"Nick! Don't you wanna come watch this with me?" Maya asked, looking over the back of the couch.

"_No_," Phoenix said for the hundredth time. He turned to the big shelf of legal books and put a hand on his chin, considering them. It was just about time for him to start seeing what was in those babies.

The door banged open and Phoenix whipped around to see Miles Edgeworth standing there, face hard and somber as usual. Edgeworth shut the door and came into the office.

"I need to talk to you," Edgeworth said quietly. He glanced over at the back of Maya's head. "Alone." Just then, Maya pumped her fists into the air and cried out happily as something happened on the TV. "Never mind. Here is fine."

"What's up, Edgeworth?" Phoenix asked. Edgeworth sighed.

"I think I'm in trouble."

"Trouble?" Phoenix frowned worriedly. "What do you mean, trouble? Do you need me to defend you again?"

"No, not that kind of trouble!" Edgeworth shook his head. "I…" He sighed again. "This is going to be hard to explain. Do you remember Nicky?"

"Oh, yeah. She's been over here a lot this past week."

Edgeworth blinked. "She…she has?"

"Yeah…she's been hanging out with Maya." Phoenix noticed that _Steel Samurai_ seemed to be a tad bit quieter than it was before.

"What…does she…" Edgeworth grabbed his arm and quickly looked away. Phoenix knew what that meant. His old school friend was bottling some type of feeling up inside. "Does she seem…happy?"

"Actually, she looks a little down." Phoenix shrugged. "I don't know why," he added, even though he knew perfectly well.

"She's angry at me," Edgeworth said. "And for a very good reason. But…what I'm doing…it is for her own good."

Phoenix frowned. "Edgeworth. What exactly _is_ it that you're doing?" _Steel Samurai_ got even quieter, but only a smidgeon.

"I…Franziska von Karma asked me to help her with a case. The defendant is a serial killer, and he is guilty. Trust me, Mr. Wright—you would not take this case if you saw Theodore Kiln." Edgeworth went on to describe seeing Kiln and the feelings he got from the man. "And I am afraid this man may go after those to whom I am close," he finished. "To protect her, I am pushing her away."

"You're hurting her so she won't get hurt," Phoenix summarized.

Edgeworth seemed to deflate. He grabbed his arm and looked away. "Mr. Wright," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want her to…to…"

Phoenix's heart went out to Edgeworth. He had never seen the man so torn up—especially to come asking _him_ for help. "Edgeworth," he said gently. "I don't know what to tell you, except that you may be going about this in the wrong way."

"How can I go about it in the _right_ way?"

Phoenix shook his head. "I don't think there _is_ a right way."

* * *

Nicky was extremely tired when she got to work that morning. She hadn't gotten to sleep until two-thirty in the morning, and had slept fitfully.

Nicky went to punch her timecard. When she turned, she was greeted by a smiling, happy Larry, and had to suppress the urge to groan with frustration. He bounced around her all day, asking her if everything was okay or if she needed help. "I'm fine, Larry. No, Larry."

In addition, she was trying to get Larry's crush on her _off_ her…by pinning it on their poor, unsuspecting co-worker, Diane. "Have you seen how pretty Diane is, Larry? Have you seen how blue Diane's eyes are? Have you seen how Diane's face lights up when she smiles? Have you seen how nice Diane's hair shines under the fluorescent lights?"

None of it worked. He continued to dog her every step. Nicky's day wasn't going so hot.

She walked by the drive-through and stood by Diane, funnily enough. It was a rare moment away from Larry. "It sure is pouring outside," Nicky commented drearily.

"Didn't you watch the weather this morning? They said it was going to rain cats and dogs."

Nicky sighed. "No. I didn't. And I don't have an umbrella." That was sort of how she felt nowadays—left out in the cold downpour without any type of umbrella. She didn't even have a raincoat, or a coat that was even slightly water-resistant. She had worn, once again, that thin hoodie, because it had felt warm out this morning. She hadn't expected the sudden drop in temperature or the pouring rain.

"Nicky!" Carol said suddenly. Nicky swung around.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Can you go get some toilet paper out of the storage room?"

"Th-the storage room, ma'am?"

"Yeah, the storage room. And put it in the bathrooms for me, would ya?"

"S-sure. N-no problem." Nicky rubbed her upper arms nervously as she started walking back to the storage room. She got to the door and stood there for a long time, just staring at it and rocking back and forth on her toes.

"Nicky?" came Larry's voice, so she hurried to grab the doorknob and rip the door open.

She started shaking uncontrollably, staring into the room. She could see it—she could see everything. The blood, the gun, his gaping mouth, his surprised expression, his wide eyes. She could smell everything—gunpowder, blood. Especially the blood. It pierced her nostrils, metallic and strange, and she could see it spread over everything…the shelves, the floor, across his chest…

Nicky let forth a bloodcurdling scream, staring into the neat and tidy storage room. Larry ran up behind her. "What—what are you doing _here_?" He grabbed her by the upper arms and yanked her away, slamming the door shut. She kept screaming. Carol materialized by Larry's shoulder.

"What's going on?"

"This is where they found Robby!" Larry yelled over Nicky's screeches.

Carol's face went pale. "Oh God! I didn't know! I'm so sorry!"

"Nicky, it's okay!" Larry said, watching as her eyes filled with tears and her screams turned into sobs. "Nicky, shh, shh…it's me, I'm here, you're okay! I'm here, I'm here, okay?" He hugged her against him as she sobbed.

Larry was hugging her comfortingly, but she knew that he wasn't who she needed. She knew who she needed. She knew she needed _those_ arms, _that_ face, _that_ smell, _that_ voice. Nicky pushed away from Larry, who tried to grab after her. "No, Larry!" she yelled, running through the restaurant.

"But I'll comfort you! I'll help you!"

"Don't!" she yelled, stopping to grab her thin hoodie and put it on. She flipped the hood up and pulled on the drawstrings. She was still sobbing, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You're not who I need! Look at Carol! She's pretty!" And with that, she turned and fled, running outside into the pouring rain.


	14. Chapter 14

Edgeworth glanced up. "Ms. von Karma," he said, a bit surprised. "It's been quite a while since you actually came into my office."

"I told you that the only time you would ever hear of my feelings again was when they changed," she said, pulling her whip taught. "Well, they haven't."

Edgeworth looked straight at her. "And?"

"I have simply misinterpreted them," Franziska said. "I felt these churnings in my stomach when I saw you and foolishly thought them to be love. I thought the need to tell you about every case I've won was my subconscious trying to impress you. And now I realize these feelings for what they truly are."

Edgeworth waited patiently as the corner of Franziska's mouth turned up.

"I now realize that these feelings were not _love_, as I once foolishly perceived. They are actually just feelings of deep detestation." She whipped his desk once and smiled.

"And this is the truth?"

"The absolute truth, Miles Edgeworth." She smiled broader. "The _very_ absolute truth."

Edgeworth nodded. "Very well, then. Then I won't feel very guilty in asking you to please _get out of my office_."

Just then the door banged open. Edgeworth leapt to his feet as Nicky stumbled in, soaked to the skin. She was wearing that thin jacket she had worn in the park that day and her work uniform, which was at least three shades darker than it usually was. _Did she _run_ here?_ he thought frantically. His heart kicked into overdrive. She was sobbing. Edgeworth's stomach clenched tightly at how hysterical she looked.

Franziska coiled her whip up. "What—?" she shouted.

"Nicky!" She was sobbing uncontrollably. Edgeworth came around his desk toward her, forgetting about the past two weeks. It was hard to see if the water on her cheeks was rain or tears. "Nicky, what happened? What's the matter?" He reached for her, thinking only of ways he could help her.

"No, no," she yelled, recoiling. "I don't—wanna mess up your suit—"

"I don't care about the suit!" Edgeworth shouted. She was babbling some type of gibberish now, keeping up a steady stream of it. He reached out and grabbed her wrists. "Do you hear me, Nicky? I don't care about the suit! I only care about you! What happened? What's the matter? Nicky! I don't care about the suit. I only care about you; I only care about _you_!"

Nicky stopped speaking gibberish but continued sobbing. Franziska stood by Edgeworth's desk, thunderstruck. "What?" Nicky asked Edgeworth faintly. Her voice seemed to be fading. She seemed to be struggling to keep her eyes open—she was also struggling, however, against Edgeworth's embrace.

"I said, I only care about you! Tell me what the matter is, please!" Edgeworth's tone was tinged with desperation. "What happened?"

"Robby," Nicky choked out. "In the storage room. Blood is everywhere. Blood is…" She trailed off. "You only care about _me_?"

"Yes, you, only you," Edgeworth told her. "Only you, Nicky, only you!" He felt the need to shake her, but he didn't.

She swayed on the spot and then collapsed suddenly. Edgeworth stepped forward quickly to catch her. "Franziska!" he cried, holding Nicky up. She was unconscious. "Can you find her some dry clothes? I have some towels in that cabinet over there."

"Why do you have towels in here?"

"In case I get wet somehow! Now please, can you find her some dry clothes?" Edgeworth looked a little crazy. His eyes were bugging out like they did when Phoenix Wright made an especially good point.

Franziska nodded and ran out of the office. She returned later with a T-shirt and some sweatpants. "I keep these in my office."

"Are they clean?"

"Of course," Franziska scoffed, handing Edgeworth the clothes. Edgeworth shook his head.

"No, I can't do it. You must redress her. It would be…indecent of me to do it myself."

With a sigh, Franziska helped Edgeworth lay Nicky on the floor. Edgeworth left his office and paced up and down in the hallway while Franziska removed Nicky's wet clothes.

"If he knew I was a lesbian, he probably wouldn't have asked me to do this," she muttered under her breath as she gently toweled Nicky off. She dressed her in the shirt and sweatpants. "All clear," she called.

Edgeworth came bounding inside. "You just left her lying in the floor?"

"I cannot lift her," Franziska retorted, picking up Nicky's wet uniform and hoodie. She cleared out the pockets carefully, setting Nicky's belongings on Edgeworth's desk. "I will go to the Laundromat down the street and wash these things. Will that be satisfactory?"

"Yes, thank you," Edgeworth grunted as he scooped Nicky up and carried her to the couch. He laid her down and removed his suit jacket, covering her with it. He grabbed another towel out of his cabinet and put it under her head. "Nicky," he breathed, leaning over her and brushing his lips against her forehead. It was cold. "How could I have let this happen?" He smoothed hair back from her forehead, not caring that his fingers came away wet. She looked so peaceful there, her eyelashes curving against her cheeks, her pink lips softly parted. "Nicky," he muttered.

Edgeworth stood and went to his office phone. He dialed his doctor's number and argued with a secretary until the man actually came to the phone. When he did, he described Nicky's condition and demanded the doctor help.

"It's not too serious," the doctor assured him. "It sounds as though she's fainted from fatigue. Just let her rest and keep her warm."

"So, if I wanted to take her to her home, I could move her?"

"Yes. It would be safe to move her."

Edgeworth thanked the doctor and hung up, running a hand through his hair and sighing. His door banged open _again_.

"Please, get _out_!" He turned to face Larry Butz, who seemed considerably drier than Nicky, probably due to the umbrella he was carrying. "Oh. It's you."

"What is your problem?" Larry exploded as his eyes fell on the unconscious Nicky. "What have you done?"

"Please don't yell," Edgeworth told him. "She fainted from fatigue, and she just needs some rest."

"To hell she does! Why isn't she in the hospital?"

"I just called a doctor. All she needs is rest and warmth. Please, Larry, do not yell."

"And why should you be the one to give her warmth, huh, Edgey? Why? It's your fault this happened!"

Edgeworth faltered. Larry crossed the room to get to Nicky's unconscious form. He kneeled beside her and pressed the backs of his fingers against her forehead. "She's so cold," he muttered, before standing and whirling on Edgeworth again. "And you hurt her! You drove her to _this_! She ran here in the pouring rain, claiming that she needed you!"

"She needed me?" Edgeworth said quietly, glancing over at her. He then shook his head to clear his thoughts. "Larry! Please lower your voice."

"Why should I?" Larry bellowed.

"Because what if she wakes up and hears you yelling?" Edgeworth asked him angrily. "She considers you one of her closest friends. It will make her condition worse if she hears you."

Larry pursed his lips. "I should take her home. You're not good enough for her. Look what you did to her…she's been in hell, Edgey, all because of you." He bent as if to pick her up, but Edgeworth blocked his way.

"No. I…I know this is my fault, Butz. I do. And I want to make it up to her. I want to apologize. It's not as if she's the only one who's been in hell lately all because of me." He looked down at his feet and ran his hands through his hair. "These past weeks without her made me realize how much I lo…" No. He couldn't say it, not to Larry. If anyone should hear it first, it should be Nicky. "…how much I loathe myself for doing this to her. She deserves better, and I intend to give her better."

Larry walked briskly to the door. When he got to it, he turned back to face Edgeworth. "What are you going to do with her?"

Edgeworth leaned down and gently traced his fingers over Nicky's cheek. "The weather report said that the rain isn't going to last all day. When it lets up, I'll take her to her apartment."

Larry nodded. "Fine, Edgey. But don't ever hurt her again."

Edgeworth took in a deep breath. "I don't think I ever could," he said softly, not looking away from Nicky's face. Larry watched for a moment. There was such a look of concern on old Edgey's face. He was murmuring things to her as he ran his fingers over her cheeks. Larry was struck by a sudden realization. _They are perfect for each other…but neither of them knows it yet. _He left the doorway, hurt but happy at the same time.

* * *

_Thanks much to all reviewers!!_

_**Tiger-the-great-Xtra **(Thanks so much, Tiger. You are a great friend and reviewer. TIGER IS GOING TO COLLEGE AND I WILL MISS HER SO MUUUCCCHHH!!!)_

_**nick nd maya 4EVER!!/4EVA!! **(I'm very sorry to tell you about this, nick nd maya, but...I am not a nick/maya shipper. Maya, to me, seems way to innocent to be paired with anyone. I usually like the Phoenix/Iris situation...if you don't know who Iris is, she's in Trials and Tribulations. So I'm sorry, but it goes against my principals to make a Nick/Maya chapter. :( Sorry to disappoint!)_


	15. Chapter 15

Nicky shifted and groaned slightly. She felt strange. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was running out in the pouring rain after going to the storage room…

She shuddered and pushed the memory away, turning on her side. She was in her own bed in her own room in her own apartment, and these facts confused her. She grabbed the covers and looked under them, confused even more by the clothes she was wearing. They were clothes Adrian Andrews had once left in Franziska's office.

Nicky tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness hit her and she fell back down. She laid still for several minutes, letting her vertigo pass. When it had, she sat up more slowly, frowning slightly as she caught sight of something on the floor. She gasped as she realized what it was.

Edgeworth was sleeping on her floor, his suit jacket covering him like a blanket. His ruffled collar was lying a few feet away, forgotten. He was going to get awful cramps. Nicky scooted to the edge of the bed and stared at him. His face looked very serene with its unwrinkled brow. He was sleeping close enough to the bed so that she could reach down and touch his face, which she did, feeling emotion well up inside her as she traced his cheekbones and his jaw line. Tears came to her eyes as she cupped his face with her hand. She had missed touching him. She had missed seeing him. A small part of her was still angry, but the vast majority of her feelings were happiness that he was here, even though she didn't know why.

Edgeworth shifted and she snatched her hand back and pulled the covers up to her chin. She turned away from him.

Nicky laid very still as she listened to Edgeworth stirring on the floor. "Are you awake?" he asked. She said nothing. She heard him get up and leave the room.

Nicky turned back over and sat up as quietly as she could. What was going on? What had happened? She rubbed her eyes.

"Oh—you're awake!"

She looked up at Edgeworth. He was holding his collar in one hand and his suit jacket in the other, a nervously happy expression on his face.

"What happened?" she snapped.

"Oh—oh. Well…" He seemed to deflate a bit. "Larry said you looked into the storage closet and came running to my office in the rain. Franziska got you those dry clothes, and I laid you on the couch and let you rest."

"Where were these clothes?"

"The clothes were in Ms. von Karma's office."

Nicky almost laughed. So that was why she was wearing Adrian Andrews's clothes. She shook her head. "I see. Well, thank you for your help, Mr. Edgeworth. I need to go to work soon."

Edgeworth's hand tightened slightly on his suit jacket. Edgeworth? She was calling him Edgeworth now? And with a _Mr._, at that. What happened to Edgey? "I…I wanted to apologize. I wanted to explain…"

"I have no desire to listen to you."

Edgeworth felt as though she had reached out and backhanded him across the face. He felt himself trembling. "Nicky, please—"

"Don't you _Nicky, please_ me!" she yelled, getting out of the bed. "I'm grateful for your help, but if you think this is enough to get me to listen to you—you're _wrong_!"

Edgeworth backed out of her room. She looked positively livid. Truthfully, he really had thought that this would have been enough to get her to listen. He had never seen her like this, not even when she had punched Franziska. Her entire body was rigid, and her fists were clenched. "I'm not about to let you walk back into my life just because I fainted in your office after a moment of bad judgment!"

"Bad…judgment? But…you said that you needed…" He had never felt so cornered. Nicky seemed to swell before his eyes, getting taller by the second.

"I said I needed you, huh? Ha!" She waved it away. "Like I said, bad judgment." Her voice cracked slightly; her eyes seemed to get watery. As she continued, advancing toward him, her voice was changing, seeming to shake. "I don't need someone who could so easily discard me after we shared so much, after I made you a part of my world."

Edgeworth backed away from her. "Nicky…"

"Stop! Just go! I don't want to see you anymore!" She was hysterical now, tears starting to leak out of her eyes. "Leave! I bet that—I bet when I got there—" She had to take deep breaths to steady herself, but she kept up her steady advance on Edgeworth; he kept backing away. "—I bet you didn't even want to—hold me or anything because—because I was wet, and—you wouldn't want to—get your suit—mess up your suit—get it wet…"

"That's not true!" he cried desperately. "You were the one who was worried about my suit! I didn't care about it!"

"Prove it!" Nicky shrieked. Her tears flowed unchecked. "Prove to me that you tried to hold me!" He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "Get _out_!" she screamed. "I've spent too long cry—just _get out_!"

"Nicky, just listen, please," he begged. His back was against the door to her apartment.

"I don't want to listen!" she yelled at him. "Just go! Leave me alone!" She was full-on sobbing now. He wanted to hold her and comfort her, but she was just a little too angry for that right now. "Why haven't you gone? _Leave_!"

So he did. This was one battle he couldn't win. He flung open the door and left—Nicky slammed it behind him. He stood on the other side and listened to her slump against the door and sob uncontrollably.

His heart broke.


	16. Chapter 16

Nicky didn't look at Larry as she walked past him, shedding her coat and heading straight to her timecard. He remained silent as she hung her coat up in the employees' break room and came back out.

"Good morning," he said finally. She grunted in reply and looked away, crossing her arms. "Is something wrong?"

Nicky sighed and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "No," she lied. "Nothing's wrong."

"You're lying."

Nicky's head snapped up. "Larry, look. I really need to tell you—"

He held up a hand to stop her. "I know already," he said. "You don't feel about me the way I feel about you. That's fine."

She looked surprised. "It's…fine?"

"Yeah. It's fine. The way you feel about Edgey…"

She stiffened visibly. "I don't feel any way about Mr. Edgeworth."

Larry sighed. "Nicky, I'm still your friend. And you're very easy to read. I would very much like to know what is wrong with you."

"He's such a pompous _ass_," she said forcefully and suddenly. "He thinks that just because I fainted in his office and he brought me home, I should listen to him."

"He did more than bring you home," Larry told her.

"Whatever," Nicky said. "I don't want to talk about it anymore. He expects me to listen to him after what he did—he's such a dick!"

_What does Gumshoe have to do with this?_ Larry wondered. "Look, Nicky," he said gently. "A very wise girl once told me that _forgiveness_ was something people did. You know what? You should try that sometime." He turned and walked away from her, heading towards Carol to ask what he was supposed to do today.

* * *

Franziska tugged on one of her gloves as she waited for Nicky outside the restaurant. "This is foolishly ridiculous foolishness," she said when she saw her. "Why could you not simply bring the clothes to my office?"

"I didn't want to run into _him_," Nicky told her, handing over Adrian's neatly folded and washed clothes.

"_Him_ who?"

Nicky rolled her eyes. "Mr. Edgeworth."

Franziska rolled her own eyes in response. "Nicky, you should see him. He foolishly slumps around the office. He is not the same."

"That's not my problem. He thinks that just because I fainted in his office and he brought me home, I should listen to his foolish explanation."

"Do not say _foolish_," Franziska told her. "That is _my_ word."

"Sorry."

"And you are being foolish. He did more than that. You rushed in, soaked completely, and the first thing he did was jump up and run to you."

Nicky's face changed slightly. "He…he did?" She didn't remember much—she had been delirious by the time she had gotten to Edgeworth's office.

"Yes. You were foolishly shouting some foolish nonsense about not getting his suit wet. He kept trying to embrace you, but you struggled against him. He told you several times that he didn't care about his suit—he only cared about _you_."

"He…did?" She was quieter now. "But—but what about after I fainted? He changed my clothes!"

"No, you foolish girl. He did not. _I_ changed your clothes. He said it would be indecent of him to do it."

"Oh. Well, if he had known you were a lesbian, he probably wouldn't have—"

"Yes, I agree. But listen to me. I went to wash your clothes in the Laundromat. When I got back, that foolish Larry Butz was leaving. I do not know what transpired while he was there and I was gone. But it had stopped raining, and so I helped Miles Edgeworth take you to your apartment. He had called the doctor and asked him what was wrong with you. I called the doctor to confirm this, and he said that Miles Edgeworth had yelled at his secretary until he came to the phone."

Nicky's eyes had filled with tears. She looked away and hugged herself. "I…"

"You are being foolish. I must leave now—I have a trial to prepare. Please think about what you feel and what he feels." Franziska turned on her heel and walked off.

Nicky promptly ran back into the restaurant. "Larry!" she called. "Larry!" He came running to her.

"What? Is everything all right?"

"Larry, please tell me—what happened when you went to see Edgeworth? I have to know."

Larry nodded. "Okay. No problem." And he told her the story.

* * *

Nicky had made up her mind.

She was still angry, but after work the next day, she was going to go to Edgeworth's office and force him to talk to her. They would work this out. She would listen to his explanation and apologize for her rash actions toward him.

She tugged on her coat and walked into the door, preoccupied with her thoughts. She immediately ran into a man standing there. "Oh—I'm sorry," she said, attempting to smile up at him. He looked down and smiled back. His face was strangely creepy.

"That's quite all right."

She frowned and glanced over her shoulder. "Do you hear sirens?" she asked. Several police cars gathered in the parking lot as she watched. "That's weird. What do you think—?"

Suddenly, the man put her in a headlock and pushed the barrel of a gun to her temple as he shouted orders to the occupants of the restaurant.

* * *

Franziska von Karma put her chin in her hand, looking across her desk at Adrian Andrews, who smiled back and blushed.

"Franziska," she murmured.

Franziska smiled in reply and straightened up. "Yes, Adrian Andrews?"

"You're staring at me."

"One cannot help staring at something that is beautiful."

Adrian blushed again. "Franziska…" She looked up and met Franziska's eyes, her cheeks reddening even more. Ever since that day in her apartment, she had been slightly shy with Franziska, who was now standing up and moving around the edge of her desk to come closer to Adrian. She slipped a finger under the girl's chin and bent down to kiss her. "Franziska," she said again, reaching up to put her hand in her hair. They kissed again and Adrian let out a small moan, making Franziska deepen the kiss.

Just then, Franziska's phone rang. They continued kissing. Adrian tried to pull back, but Franziska followed her, keeping her lips locked onto hers. "Franziska!" she said, finally succeeding in pulling away, but the woman was awfully persistent. "Franziska—your phone—"

"Ignore my foolishly ringing foolish phone."

"But what if it's about—_Franziska_!" she cried abruptly in surprise as Franziska's hand wandered. "What if it's about Theodore Kiln?"

Franziska sighed. She leaned over Adrian's chair and answered the phone. "Speak quickly." She was silent for a moment, and then her face turned completely pale. "What? You fool! Where is he now?" Sweat suddenly appeared on her forehead as she straightened up. "That is where—foolish fool! Capture him! Who is on the scene?" She listened for a moment. "Fools! You could not have prevented this? You are all foolish fools with your foolish lax security foolishness!" She hung up, grabbed her whip, and rushed out of her office. Adrian got up and followed close behind as Franziska ran down the hall and into Prosecutor Edgeworth's office, slamming through the door.

"Ms. von Karma, _please_, I beg of you—what's the matter?" He stood up quickly as he noted the look of panic on her face. Adrian leaned in the doorway, panting slightly.

"Theodore Kiln," Franziska barked. "He has escaped."

Adrian's glasses promptly shattered, but neither of them took notice, and she just replaced them quickly.

"_Escaped_?" Edgeworth thundered. "Where has he fled? Do the police know?"

"Yes, they do know."

"And where is he?"

Franziska bit her lip and looked away. "Miles Edgeworth…"

"Dammit, Franziska! _Where is he_?"

"He ran to the fast-food restaurant a few blocks over," she told him weakly.

Edgeworth froze. At first, he appeared to have just stopped moving at all. Then, he seemed to swell, his eyes turning to that frightening state, as thought Phoenix Wright had just presented an especially important piece of evidence.

"That is not the worst news," Franziska said. "He has taken a hostage. They describe her as…" She took a deep breath. "As being of average height, with long brown hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin."

Suddenly, Edgeworth sprang into action. He snatched his keys off his desk and ran around it, heading for the door. Franziska attempted to bar his way, shouting, but Edgeworth knocked her arm aside.

"Do not be a fool, Miles Edgeworth!" she cried as he went running down the hall. "He is not listening," she said in her normal voice as she came to stand beside Adrian. "We must follow."

Adrian nodded. She looked scared. Franziska kissed her quickly on the cheek and laced her fingers through hers as they went after Edgeworth.

* * *

_Okay, there's Chapter 16, everybody!! Now, a big thank-you to everyone who reviewed chapters 14 and 15:_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(It's been a long time since you've given me a review, Caigus. I feel priveleged. XD)_

_**Tiger-the-great-Xtra **(I miss you so much!! I'm sad that you have to go away to college...:( Review lots!!)_

_**nick nd maya 4EVA **(Yay, I'm glad you love my story so much!! That makes me really happy. XD)_

_Now, don't mutiny or anything, but...I'm not putting up Chapter 17 until later. I know I've spoiled you guys by putting up two chapters at a time, but...I'm not putting it up yet._

_But I will leave you with this news: We're getting close to the end!!_


	17. Chapter 17

Nicky shut her eyes and tried not to cry. She tried not to concentrate on the cold metal pressing against her head. She tried not to panic.

She was failing miserably.

Kiln had dragged her behind the counter and was using her as a human shield, smiling menacingly as cops gathered in the restaurant. All the patrons were on the floor underneath the tables, and Gumshoe stood surrounded by police, gun in hand.

"Don't do anything stupid, pal," Gumshoe warned.

Kiln cackled. "Stupid?" he asked. He had a strange, creepy voice, like sandpaper being scratched across rocks. "What would you consider stupid?" He pressed the gun harder to Nicky's temple, and she whimpered involuntarily, opening her eyes. "Would killing this pretty little girl be stupid, Mr. Detective? Hm?" He cackled again.

Nicky bit her bottom lip. Although all the police had their guns trained on Kiln, they couldn't do anything. As soon as one of them pulled the trigger, Kiln would pull his, sending a bullet through her brain and effectively killing her; and anyway, there wasn't any guarantee that a bullet fired would hit Kiln. It could just as well hit her.

"DON'T MOVE!" Kiln screamed suddenly. One of the police officers had scratched his nose. Kiln pressed the gun even harder against Nicky's head. She was sure that if she lived through this, she was going to get a nasty bruise. "DON'T MOVE, OR I'LL BLOW HER HEAD OFF!"

This one sentence shot an image into Nicky's head so terrible that she had to spend the next several seconds pushing it out—no one likes to imagine their own head exploding. It was during this time that the restaurant door was flung open and a certain pink-suited man barged in. Kiln, a very jumpy, panicky individual, immediately screamed and leveled his gun at Edgeworth.

_No!_ Nicky thought. She brought up her elbow and dug it into Kiln's stomach. It may have lacked force, but it was enough to distract him. His gun went off, leaving a smoking bullet hole in the wall by Edgeworth's arm. She then knocked the weapon out of his hand and brought her fist up, slamming him in the face. He howled and stumbled backwards into the wall behind them. Nicky threw herself on the gun in the floor and picked it up.

"You don't know what to do with that gun, girlie," Kiln said. He was holding his nose, which was bent slightly. Blood was running from it.

"I may not," Nicky said, her voice shaking. "But they do." She pointed at the policemen in the restaurant.

"Give it up, pal," Gumshoe said. "Your killing days are over. There's no way anyone could believe that you're innocent after this."

Kiln cackled. "Really?" he snapped. "Well, do you know what, Mr. Detective? I did it. I killed those nine people. And guess what? I'm _proud_ of it!" He cackled again. "But if you all take me in, you'll ruin me. My reputation is already smeared. I'm as good as dead right now. What can you do? Arrest me? I've broken out once, and I'll do it again. But even if I'm not chased down, where will I go?" He cackled, his jagged white teeth showing. "I'm already ruined." He turned and smacked Nicky in the forehead. She cried out, and he brought his hand down hard on her wrists, making her let go of his pistol. He caught it deftly and shoved Nicky into the floor. "It's already over for me. And now, it's over quite literally." He stuck the barrel in his mouth and pulled the trigger.

After the shot rang out and Kiln's head exploded, there was dead silence. And then, suddenly, Nicky let out a piercing scream. She scrambled to her feet and ran through the restaurant, shoving officers out of her way until she got to the door, bypassing Edgeworth and running out.

"Nicky!" Edgeworth made to go after her, but an officer caught him.

"We can't let you leave," the officer said. "We've got to keep everyone for questioning."

"I must go after her!" Edgeworth insisted. "Let me go!"

"I have to detain you, sir."

"Hey," Gumshoe barked. "What's there to question, pal? We all saw it. Mr. Edgeworth just saw it from a different angle. Let him go. That's his girl out there."

"But, sir—"

"Let him go!"

Edgeworth looked up at Gumshoe gratefully. "I know your badge is on the line here," he told him. "I will see to it that you keep your job."

"Just go, pal," Gumshoe said. The officer reluctantly let go of Edgeworth's shoulder, and he darted out the door.

* * *

_We're edging ever closer, everyone. Thanks to my reviewers:_

_**Caigus of the White Lions** (I'm getting around to reading your fanfiction, Caigus. I'm in COLLEGE.)_

_**nick nd maya 4EVA **(I'm so happy that you like this story! I hope you'll like the next chapter...;)_


	18. Chapter 18

It took him a while to find it. He hadn't been paying full attention when he went the first time. With each minute he became more worried, and even when he got there, it took him a while to find the specific spot. But after over half an hour, he found the right path in the park and ran down it, stepping over the underbrush when he got to it, struggling in what he hoped was the right direction.

He was confused when he heard music, but he pressed on. After a while, he began to wonder if he was imagining the music. It became louder and clearer the closer he got, and finally he came to the clearing. But he wasn't imagining what he saw sitting in the middle of the clearing; Nicky, Indian-style on that same blanket, eyes closed, serenely playing a beautiful melody on a flute. He waited patiently in silence, listening to her, hands in his pockets as he watched. When she finally finished, she looked up at him as though she knew he had been there the whole time.

They stared at each other for a while before she finally spoke. "How did you know?"

"This is your world," Edgeworth replied. "And I am now part of it. Remember?" He put his hands in his pockets. "I apologize for taking so long. I also apologize…for avoiding you. That man in the restaurant…he was the defendant."

Nicky shook her head. She pulled her flute case from behind her and began taking apart her flute and putting it away. She snapped the silver latches shut and pushed the case away.

"I still owe you the entire explanation." He shifted slightly, and Nicky looked up. He looked so nice, standing there in his red suit, hands shoved into his pockets, gaze fixed on his black shoes. "The reason I avoided you was to hopefully avoid a situation like the one that just happened. I did not want you to get hurt because of me. When I first saw that man, I knew him to be a cold-blooded killer. I immediately thought of you and started pushing you away. If he never saw how close I was to you…if he never knew…then he would never try to attack you in an attempt to get to me. However, it seems that my efforts to protect you went awry. Instead, I ended up hurting you unnecessarily…and hurting _myself_ unnecessarily as well. But I thought that if only I could protect you, the way I felt wouldn't matter, just as long as you were happy…" He looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. "These past few weeks without you have been…a living hell."

Nicky frowned. "What are you saying, Edgeworth?"

He was silent for a few moments. "What am I saying?" he repeated softly after a while. A breeze curled through the clearing in the pause that followed his words, toying with Nicky's hair and Edgeworth's bangs. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. "I am saying," he continued, "that I would rather watch you be happy with someone else than put you in danger. I am saying that life without you is miserable. I am saying that I cannot bear the thought of a world without your smile, your laugh, your voice. I am saying…" He shook his head and finally dropped his gaze to look at her. She was sitting on her knees on the blanket, frowning confusedly as she watched him. "I am saying that I love you."

Her mouth dropped open in surprise, but she quickly clamped it shut. "I love you, Nicky," Edgeworth continued. "But if you wish it—if you so command—I will walk away from here. I know that I hurt you, and I know you must hate me. I will do anything you say. I will do anything to make you happy. If you so choose, Nicky, I…" His voice cracked. He cleared his throat. "I will leave your world forever."

She hugged herself tighter, rubbing one of her arms, a habit she had picked up from him. "You love me?" she whispered after a while. "You'll do…_anything_ to make me happy?"

"Anything," he replied. His heart plummeted, knowing what was to come next. He looked away, letting his hand close over the keys in his pocket. She didn't want him in her world anymore.

"Edgeworth." He mentally prepared himself for what was to come next and looked at her. Just like the first time they met, he read the emotions on her face like a book—confusion, pain. Tears welled up in her eyes. She was going to banish him. "I…I love you too."

"Y-you do?" he stammered, his hands starting to shake.

"Yes," she replied. "And…if you really want to make me happy…then stay. Because the truth is, the past few weeks have been hell for me, too." She smiled as tears started to slip down her cheeks. "And I love you, Edgey."

He took his hands out of his pockets and strode quickly across the clearing to fall on his knees before her, putting his face level with hers. He grabbed her upper arms and let himself look over her face, taking it all in—eyes, eyebrows, cheeks, nose, lips…_lips_. He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her against him. She slid her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.

They broke apart and he smoothed hair back from her forehead. "I love you, Nicky," Edgeworth said. He laughed. "It feels so good to say."

"I love you too," Nicky told him. She laughed in reply. "You're right…it does feel good."

He held her close against him. "I've loved you for so long," he whispered in her ear. She snuggled into him.

"I've loved you for a long time, too," she told him, her voice muffled. He cradled her for a while before they moved to a more comfortable position—he sat down and let her lean against him, slightly in his lap.

They sat in silence. Edgeworth kissed the top of Nicky's head and looked down at her. Even slightly upside-down, he could tell she had grown somber again.

"I'm going to quit my job at the restaurant," she said finally.

"That restaurant is not why these things are happening to you."

"I know. But I don't need to be there where all those memories are. Where all that…blood…was shed." She hid her face in his chest, and her shoulders shook.

Edgeworth grabbed her head in both hands and tipped it up so that he could see her face and the tears running down her cheeks. "Do not hide from me," he told her. She closed her eyes and continued crying, but at least her face was tipped up.

They spent a long time like that, Edgeworth holding her and wiping her tears. He didn't know how much time passed—minutes, hours, whatever. He didn't particularly care. He let Nicky cry and cradled her against his chest.

Finally, Nicky's shoulders stopped shaking, and she wiped her eyes and opened them. She gave him a smile so sad it was heartbreaking. "Thank you, my Edgey," she said, sitting up but still keeping herself cuddled against him. She put her head on his shoulder.

"You are most welcome."

They sat in silence for a few more moments before Nicky spoke again. "You know, you're actually a very sweet, caring person." She snuggled into him. "It's worth getting past your edges."

Edgeworth shut his own eyes, lest he himself start crying. He ran his fingers through her hair briefly. "Nicky."

"Hm?"

"Let me take you home."

She was quiet for a moment. "Don't leave me," she whispered.

"I won't. I will stay with you."

"Do you promise?"

"Yes. I promise you. I will never leave you again."

Nicky sat up looked at him, her eyes full of worry. "Never?"

Edgeworth cradled her face in his hand. "Never." He leaned forward and kissed her softly, gently. "Never again."

* * *

_And there you have it...the end. Stay tuned for the epilogue!!_


	19. Epilogue

"Just relax," Phoenix said. "Everything will be fine."

"Are you certain? Are you absolutely certain?"

"Yes," Phoenix insisted. "Look—she asked me to give you this."

Edgeworth frowned as Phoenix pulled something out of his pocket. It was a note. He took it and read it quickly, a smile flitting across his features. When he was done, he put it in his pocket. "Thank you, Mr. Wright."

"Miles Edgeworth, today my name is Phoenix."

Edgeworth smiled again. "Yes. Thank you, Phoenix."

"You're welcome, Miles." Then he frowned. "You know, it's very strange to call you Miles—"

"Yes, I know, _she's_ told me that before." Edgeworth looked extremely nervous. "Is it almost time?"

"Yes. Just a few more minutes."

"Phoenix!" Edgeworth grabbed Phoenix's shoulders. "What if she doesn't want to—?"

"She _does_. Trust me, she does, or she wouldn't have agreed to do this in a courtroom." He shook his head. "You are so weird."

"Well, this is where I met her," Edgeworth said defensively. "This is where our eyes first met…"

The door opened and Maya came in, dressed in her best channeling outfit and holding a bouquet of roses. "Are you two _ready_ yet?" she asked. "It's past time to start."

"It's not us, it's you women making us late!" Phoenix retorted. "We've been ready since we got here!"

"Well, the judge is getting impatient, so it's time for you two to go out there, okay?" Maya left, shutting the door behind her, and Phoenix turned back to Edgeworth, who appeared to be silently freaking out.

"Calm down. Let's go."

Edgeworth nodded.

"No, really, _calm down_. Your eyes are really scary."

Edgeworth closed his eyes and shook his head as he followed Phoenix out. He stood on the judge's left, Phoenix a few steps behind him. He glanced over his shoulder at Phoenix, who gave him a small thumbs-up, before looking out at the crowd. There were so many people here today—there was Larry, with who he supposed was Carol on his arm. Iris Fey sat next to him, her eyes pointed at Phoenix. Many people he had prosecuted were there. All of the prosecutors from the office were in the crowd—except for Franziska, of course. She would be in here later.

And then the music started. Edgeworth's heart skipped a beat but made up for it by hammering madly. As he faced the aisle, he wondered if anyone could hear it. He was sure they could read his panic in his expression (and he was very wrong). He glanced over his shoulder at Phoenix again and made a minute gesture toward his eyes, basically asking the man if they looked scary. Phoenix shook his head.

Pearl came down the aisle first—perhaps she was a bit too old to be a flower girl, but she was delighted to help nonetheless. She scattered cherry-blossom petals all over, letting them drift gently to the floor, a huge smile across her little round face. Maya came next, smiling and holding her bouquet of roses. When Pearl got to where Edgeworth and the judge were, she tossed a handful of cherry blossoms by their feet and went to sit in the first row. After Maya came Franziska von Karma, dressed in a beautiful lavender gown and clutching lilies. Behind her was Adrian Andrews, smiling nervously. The three women lined up across from Edgeworth, who smiled at them. Franziska smiled back, and Edgeworth suddenly noticed that in her right hand she clutched her whip, which was coiled around her bouquet. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. Couldn't she go _anywhere_ without that thing?

There was a slight movement behind Edgeworth—he glanced back and saw that Phoenix had disappeared. He took several deep breaths to calm himself as the music changed, and he looked over the crowd again. They were all standing and turning away from him, which, surprisingly, didn't make him feel any better. He kept his eyes trained on the open doors and the figures that had appeared. One was Phoenix. His arm was bent at the elbow, and a girl's delicate fingers were resting in the crook. She stood a little bit shorter than him, though taller than she normally was since she was wearing heels. Dick Gumshoe was behind her, looking rather dashing in a dark suit (which he had probably spent an entire year's salary on—poor Gumshoe), carrying her train with a proud smile on his face. The woman herself had a thin veil hiding her face, but Edgeworth could see her brown hair tumbling in soft waves down to her bare shoulders. Her dress was strapless (and white, of course), with a lavender sash around the waist and an extra-long train, hence the need for Gumshoe. Light lavender patterns traced themselves up her skirt, making swirls and flowers. Edgeworth had never seen this dress before, as was the custom. He felt his knees grow weak as she moved slowly up the aisle, holding her rather large bouquet of roses with cherry blossoms stuck in.

Phoenix Wright stopped at the makeshift altar in front of the judge's bench, the woman stopping with him. Edgeworth saw a hint of a smile beyond the veil, and he felt the corner of his mouth turn up in response.

"Who gives this woman away to be married?" the judge asked, his big gray beard quivering slightly.

"I do, Your Honor," Phoenix piped up. He helped the woman to stand across from Edgeworth. When she got to her place, she gave her bouquet to Maya and then reached out and gently touched his fingers with her own. Edgeworth really smiled then. He took her hands in his and they both looked up at the judge.

"If anyone has an objection to this union, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Edgeworth knew this was just a formality—part of traditional custom—but his heart kicked into overdrive nonetheless. His eyes flitted first over Franziska's face, and upon finding her gazing adoringly at Adrian (an expression he didn't know she could muster), considered her to be of no threat. He then shifted slightly to find Larry in the crowd, feeling sure that at any moment, he would shake Carol off his arm and leap up with that sad puppy-dog look and declare his love for Edgeworth's bride.

But no one spoke, and Edgeworth breathed a sigh of relief. He felt _her_ relax too and glanced at her—had she really been worried that someone would want _him_? He almost laughed at her for being so preposterous.

"Do you, Miles Edgeworth, take this woman, Nicky lastname, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold…" The judge continued. Edgeworth squeezed Nicky's fingers lightly and felt her squeeze back. When the judge looked at him expectantly, he actually smiled before he answered.

"HOLD IT!"

Everyone in the room looked surprised. Edgeworth and Nicky turned to see an old woman running in. She had white hair and had on a security uniform. "No! My Edgey-poo!"

Phoenix Wright had never considered the possibility of a perfect facepalm, but he would testify forever that he saw Edgeworth perform one that day when Wendy Oldbag came barging into the ceremony. She stopped several feet away from the aisle and stretched a hand out theatrically. "Don't do it!"

"What is holding that woman _together_?" Edgeworth growled near Nicky's ear. "Why doesn't she just _die_?"

"Now Edgey-poo," Nicky teased. He glanced at her in a threatening way, making her laugh.

"Edgey-poo, you can't get married to this vile home-wrecker!" Oldbag was saying. "Come! Let's run away together!"

"That woman is off her rocker," Phoenix muttered.

"I will not have you coming in here and ruining my wedding, you old bag!" Edgeworth shouted.

"Oh, Edgey-poo, you can call me Wendy."

"_Home-wrecker_?" Nicky snapped venomously. Edgeworth felt the blood freeze in his veins. The last time Nicky had adopted that type of tone, she had walked out of his office in a fit of anger—and the time before that, she had punched Franziska von Karma in the face.

"Yes," Wendy snapped back. "Just look at you, using your charms to seduce my poor Edgey-poo! Well I won't stand for it! In my day, we knew how to deal with a temptress like you, and it was—"

"She's babbling," Edgeworth murmured, horrified. Suddenly, Nicky's hand tore out of his and she leapt forward.

"Well I'll have you know that I love this man and he loves me, and I won't have some ignorant old geezer come in and ruin my wedding just because she's entertaining some ridiculous fantasy—"

"Ridiculous? What's ridiculous about a love—?"

And then Adrian jumped forward, arguing on Nicky's side, adding in another voice to the confusion. Soon Maya joined, and then Franziska, until no one could understand a word any of the fast-talking women were saying. Pearl even started shouting a bit.

"What are they saying?" Poor Dick Gumshoe was still standing behind Nicky, her train in his hand, looking over his shoulder at Edgeworth and Phoenix. Edgeworth shrugged and spread his hands as he shook his head. Phoenix shook his head also.

"There are too many voices for me to make out," Phoenix replied. "And I think Franziska's speaking German. But it looks like Nicky's side is winning. Oldbag looks tired."

"I sincerely hope so," Edgeworth said in reply. "My ears will be ringing long into the night after this."

The female babbling continued and started to die down after a while. At last, all the voices stopped except Nicky's. She was shaking her fist and only continued on for one sentence. "Don't make me hit you, old woman!"

There was silence in the courtroom for half a beat. "You wouldn't dare."

"Do you wanna _test_ me?"

"Mr. Edgeworth!" Gumshoe whispered. He looked over his shoulder, panicked. "What do I do if they get in a fight?" He held up the train helplessly.

"Why are you asking me?" Edgeworth whispered back. "I have no clue!"

"Even if she wouldn't," Franziska said menacingly, "_I_ would." She pulled her whip out and cracked it once. "But I have a feeling that if she hits you, I won't be needing this."

Oldbag looked at the women standing in front of her. Finally, her shoulders slumped. "Very well," she said. "You young'uns win. I don't suppose you could let a defeated old woman come to the reception, could you?"

"_No_," the women said in unison. Nicky flung her arm out, pointing her finger towards the door. Oldbag turned and slunk away. Before she got to the door, she turned around and looked up at the makeshift altar.

"Edgey-poo!" she called. "Just say the word, right now, and we can leave together! But if you say otherwise…I'll leave you alone forevermore!"

"By all means," Edgeworth said flatly. "Leave me alone forevermore."

Oldbag left finally. The bridesmaids arranged themselves as they were before, smiling as if nothing had happened. Nicky turned and smiled brightly over her shoulder. "Thank you for holding my train this long, Detective." She walked up to the altar and Gumshoe arranged her train, frowning.

Edgeworth reached out and took her hands in his again. "That was amazing," he told her.

"Just some things you have to look forward to."

"Remind me to never make you angry…well, again."

She laughed slightly, squeezing his hands a bit. The judge looked completely dumbfounded. He shook his head briefly and cleared his throat. "All right, then. Well, about the question I asked the prosec—uh, you, Prosecutor—uh, _Mr._ Edgeworth. What was your answer?"

"I do," Edgeworth replied, a bit amused. He looked over at Nicky, who was blushing beneath the veil.

"And you, the defendant—argh!" The judge shook his head again. "Nicky! Do you take Miles Edgeworth to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold…" He continued with the question, completing it without any mistakes. Nicky looked over at Edgeworth.

"I do," she said, her voice shaking a bit. Edgeworth tried to peer at her eyes through the veil. Was she crying? His heart quickened. Was that a bad sign?

They exchanged rings, as per the judge's instructions. When they had, the judge nodded. "Yes. I now pronounce you husband and wife. Edgeworth—you may kiss the bride."

Edgeworth couldn't wait. He grabbed her veil and lifted it, watching her face come into clear view. He had been right about her crying. Her eyes were shining with tears, but she was smiling the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her. He reached out and wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close, cradling her head with his other hand. He bent his head and kissed her.

Nicky's hands snaked up his chest and around his neck. He crushed her against him, feeling a bit of a tear slip away from his closed eyes and roll down his cheek, where it dropped off onto Nicky's, mingling with hers. The crowd was clapping. He knew it was time to end the kiss, but he couldn't help but keep her there, in his arms, in that beautiful dress.

The crowd grew quiet again. Phoenix looked around. Everyone was trying to find something to look at besides the bride and groom. It wasn't as if they were making out—they had just _way_ passed the time limit for the traditional wedding kiss. He looked out into the crowd and saw Iris, who was already looking at him. He smiled sheepishly.

Finally, Nicky and Edgeworth pulled away from each other, smiling. The crowd erupted into cheers again as the couple left the courtroom.

After they took wedding photos, Nicky and Edgeworth arrived at the reception. Phoenix watched them. They looked like total opposites. Edgeworth stood tall and straight, his nose slightly in the air as usual, his arm bent in a gentlemanlike way for Nicky to hold. Nicky, however, was holding his arm with both hands, smiling and giggling, her eyes bright and her cheeks blushing. When she thought no one was watching, she stood on tiptoe and snuck a quick kiss on Edgeworth's cheek. Edgeworth seemed to melt—he looked down at his feet quickly.

"They're so strange together," Phoenix said. Iris patted his arm.

"But look what happens when he looks at her." She pointed just as Nicky tugged gently on Edgeworth's arm. He looked down at her. "See how his eyes change?"

"You're right." And indeed she was. Something happened to his face when he looked at her. A smile tugged on the corners of his lips, and his eyes lit up and seemed to sparkle. Nicky pulled Edgeworth toward the cake, talking animatedly as she did so. Phoenix looked over at Iris. "You're very observant, aren't you?"

Iris smiled and blushed a bit. "Oh…I don't know."

Everyone at the wedding turned their attention to the cake, where Nicky was happily waving around the cake cutter and yelling for everyone to look. Edgeworth looked as though he was about to panic—he reached out and grabbed her wrist. "We don't need any accidents," he told her, and everyone laughed as she pouted.

The happy newlyweds put their hands on the handle of the cutter and pushed down together, cutting a slice of the cake. They put it on a plate and Edgeworth then cut a piece with a fork. He held it out and fed it to Nicky, who ate it with a smile. She then took the fork and cut another bite, but instead of feeding it to him, she grabbed it off the fork and smashed it into his face.

Silence immediately overtook the party. Even Franziska von Karma was appalled at Nicky's actions. Nicky, however, was smiling. She burst out laughing and grabbed a napkin. And then, to everyone's amazement, Edgeworth started laughing too. He took the napkin and wiped the cake from his eyes, and Nicky helped him clean the rest. The crowd laughed as well.

The rest of the reception went beautifully—everyone clinking their glasses to get the newlyweds to kiss, the first dance as husband and wife, the tossing of the bouquet (which Adrian Andrews caught, and then blushed violently), the tossing of the garter (which Phoenix caught with much the same reaction as Adrian), and finally, everyone seeing the bride and groom off as they loaded into a limousine.

Everyone threw rice at the couple as they rushed down the sidewalk to the limo, arm-in-arm. They got in the backseat and Nicky turned to wave emphatically out the back window until they turned a corner and were out of sight.

Nicky sat down in the seat and looked over at Edgeworth, who smiled and kissed her immediately. "Now, just a bit longer and we'll be at the airport."

She smiled and placed a hand on his face. "I love you, Edgey."

"I love you too, Mrs. Edgeworth."

She laughed. "That's going to take some getting used to. Do I have to call you _Miles_ now?"

"I suppose you can call me whatever you want."

"It's weird to call you Miles. You don't look like a Miles."

"We've been through this before," he told her. Indeed they had; she had brought it up at the very dinner in which he proposed, actually. "But, just out of curiosity…what _do_ I look like?"

She frowned as she considered this, looking at his face. "Hmm…I'd say that you look like an Edgeworth."

He laughed. "Well, isn't that something?" He shook his head. "You look like an Edgeworth, too." He leaned down and kissed his new wife.

* * *

_*Breathes out extensively*_

_Wow! That certainly was a looooong time coming, wasn't it? Hope you liked the references!!_

_Well, now it's time to say good-bye and thank all my reviewers._

_**Princess one99five **(Even though she stopped reviewing, she did give me some good advice there in the beginning. If you're reading now, thanks so much for supporting me during the grueling first chapters!)_

_**Caigus of the White Lions **(You are a faithful reviewer of all my stories, and for that I thank you. The advice you give me is second to none; and you have some pretty good ideas. Not only do you support me on FanFiction, but you also support me as my real-life friend. Thanks so much!!!)_

_**hatorisgirl15 **(She only reviewed once, but...it was still nice of her!!)_

_**Anmynous **(This reviewer gave me the advice to take out the author's comments that this story was a self-insert. I don't know if I followed that or not...I'm so busy. But this is the first person that let me know that my story didn't really seem like a self-insert!! Thank you!!)_

_**MystikMagick **(I'm glad my story makes you smile!! Thanks for reviewing.)_

_**brunette-lady23 **(This person said that they'd like to have a friend like Nicky, which made me happy, because Nicky is ME. Thanks for your support!)_

_**Nick nd Maya 4EVER!!! **(This person started reviewing at Chapter 8 and faithfully reviewed pretty much every chapter on up till the end. Thanks so much! Just because of you, I'm glad that I allowed unsigned reviews.)_

_**Tiger-the-great-Xtra **(This person is my friend in real life, and she gave me some good advice regarding the Mary-Sueness. Love you!!)_

_**kRYTEN2X4B523B **(Thanks so much for your kind review. I updated as soon as I could because of it!! XD)_

_And I think that's everybody!! If I forgot you, just leave me an angry review or something. Thank you, everybody, for your support throughout this story. I actually wouldn't have updated if not for you guys!!_

_With Love,  
**Mav Tails**_


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